Cost of living in Portage

Composed in-house · four inputs · 14% of the overall score

B+

79/100
3rd of 60

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The four inputs

Housing cost index74

Chicago 10045% · scores 97

Effective property tax rate0.78%

Chicago 1.83%25% · scores 81

Utilities116

Chicago 10020% · scores 44

Local sales tax7.00%

Chicago median 8.96%10% · scores 60

Vertical rule marks the Chicago reference. Composed in-house · ACS 2020–24. Every scale is on the methodology page.

Best Chicago suburbs for cost of living

All 60 ranked, Portage highlighted

1MerrillvilleA−$211,400 2ValparaisoA−$267,300 3PortageB+$224,200 4HobartB+$215,200 5HammondB+$159,900 6GaryB+$94,700 7ScherervilleB+$314,900 8Crown PointB−$294,800 9CiceroC+$249,400 10NilesC+$358,700 11DeKalbC+$204,700 12Downers GroveC$449,800 13AddisonC$341,300 14Elk Grove VillageC$347,100 15Des PlainesC$335,600 16Oak LawnC$281,200 17WaukeganC$190,900 18WheelingC$266,200 19Orland ParkC$367,200 20North ChicagoC$159,600 21ChicagoC$334,100 22Calumet CityC$145,200 23CarpentersvilleC$234,100 24WoodridgeC$363,700 25BerwynC−$299,800 26Tinley ParkC−$299,900 27MundeleinC−$309,700 28Mount ProspectC−$397,400 29SkokieC−$387,200 30StreamwoodC−$271,200 31RomeovilleC−$257,100 32ElginC−$273,000 33Hoffman EstatesC−$351,900 34SchaumburgC−$330,400 35Arlington HeightsC−$414,500 36Glendale HeightsC−$261,700 37JolietC−$265,800 38PalatineC−$355,600 39EvanstonC−$481,200 40Hanover ParkC−$274,200 41LombardC−$335,700 42AlgonquinD+$351,000 43Carol StreamD+$335,000 44Crystal LakeD+$311,400 45GurneeD+$344,300 46OswegoD+$344,500 47WheatonD+$455,700 48BartlettD+$375,700 49ElmhurstD+$545,400 50AuroraD+$274,800 51Park RidgeD$551,200 52BolingbrookD$314,700 53GlenviewD$609,600 54St. CharlesD$377,400 55NapervilleD$540,200 56NorthbrookD$652,300 57Oak ParkD−$465,500 58Buffalo GroveD−$412,300 59Highland ParkD−$607,300 60PlainfieldF$431,400

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Better than Portage on cost of living

Portage grades B+ on cost of living. Two suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.

SuburbCost of livingMedian home valueEff. tax rateOverall

Merrillville11 mi from PortageA−$211k0.94% 48 D+ Valparaiso10 mi from PortageA−$267k1.06% 66 C+

Cost-of-living index composed in-house from housing cost, utilities, effective property tax and local sales tax · Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Effective property tax: ACS 2020–24

Six Chicago lists

Best Chicago suburbs for families Most affordable Chicago suburbs Best Chicago suburbs for schools Shortest commutes to Downtown Chicago Most walkable Chicago suburbs Best Chicago suburbs for young professionals

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How this works

How we score Chicago suburbs — every weight and source Twelve guides to moving to Chicago