Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

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

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom side by side

Metric Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
Alpha Score3425
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health15
Affordability366
Economic Strength4434
Rental Yield5239
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income3.46.0
Payment-to-Income20.9%36.5%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield5.5%3.7%
Overvaluation Index040

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-Roseville-Folsom compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 36/100 vs Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom 6/100.
  • Price Momentum: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 1/100 vs Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom 5/100.
  • Economic Strength: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 44/100 vs Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom 34/100.
  • Rental Yield: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin leads — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 52/100 vs Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom 39/100.

Frequently asked questions

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

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin scores higher — 34 vs 25 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-Roseville-Folsom more affordable?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 3.4 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and 6.0 in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?

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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom brief.