Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs Cleveland-Elyria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of May 2026

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs Cleveland-Elyria side by side

Metric Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Cleveland-Elyria
Alpha Score3440
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health15
Affordability3654
Economic Strength4450
Rental Yield5252
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income3.42.9
Payment-to-Income20.9%17.2%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield5.5%6.0%
Overvaluation Index00

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and Cleveland-Elyria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Cleveland-Elyria leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 36/100 vs Cleveland-Elyria 54/100.
  • Price Momentum: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and Cleveland-Elyria score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: Cleveland-Elyria leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 1/100 vs Cleveland-Elyria 5/100.
  • Economic Strength: Cleveland-Elyria leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 44/100 vs Cleveland-Elyria 50/100.
  • Rental Yield: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and Cleveland-Elyria score the same (52/100).

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or Cleveland-Elyria?

Cleveland-Elyria scores higher — 40 vs 34 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or Cleveland-Elyria more affordable?

Cleveland-Elyria is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 3.4 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and 2.9 in Cleveland-Elyria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or Cleveland-Elyria?

Both markets show similar price momentum (about 50/100).

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin market brief and the Cleveland-Elyria brief.