Cambridge, MA vs Rolling Meadows, IL

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Cambridge

70.6

#1085 nationally

vs

Rolling Meadows

77.3

#260 nationally

Cambridge leads in walk score (87 vs 42). Rolling Meadows leads in cost of living index (111 vs 172). Cambridge leads in median household income ($115,892 vs $91,287).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Cambridge, MA Rolling Meadows, IL
WhereAtHome Score 70.6 (#1085) 77.3 (#260)
Population 117,090 23,329
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $1,055,780 $342,521
Median Household Income $115,892 $91,287
Average Commute 27.8 min 26.6 min
Walk Score 87 42
Crime Level Low 2.7
School Rating 8.4 N/A
Cost of Living Index 172 111
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+39.5 D+42.0
Cambridge, MA
C-
70.6 Score

Cambridge, MA

Academic powerhouse across the Charles

Median Home

$1,055,780

Population

117,090

Crime

Low

Schools

A

Northeast View Cambridge, MA →
Rolling Meadows, IL
C+
77.3 Score

Rolling Meadows, IL

Small Illinois city with local appeal

Median Home

$342,521

Population

23,329

Crime

Low

Walk Score

42

Midwest View Rolling Meadows, IL →

Try a different matchup

Swap Cambridge for:

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Swap Rolling Meadows for:

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