Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs Sacramento, CA: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs Sacramento, CA side by side

Metric Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Sacramento, CA
Alpha Score2436
Price Momentum63
Inventory Health041
Affordability3613
Economic Strength2632
Rental Yield4428
Median Sale Price$593K
Price-to-Income3.56.1
Payment-to-Income22.4%37.0%
Months of Supply3
Gross Rental Yield5.3%3.7%
Overvaluation Index1080

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 Sacramento, CA compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 36/100 vs Sacramento, CA 13/100.
  • Inventory Health: Sacramento, CA leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 0/100 vs Sacramento, CA 41/100.
  • Economic Strength: Sacramento, CA leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 26/100 vs Sacramento, CA 32/100.
  • Rental Yield: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 44/100 vs Sacramento, CA 28/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or Sacramento, CA?

Sacramento, CA scores higher — 36 vs 24 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 Sacramento, CA more affordable?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 3.5 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and 6.1 in Sacramento, CA.

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 Sacramento, CA brief.