The Town Files

South Barrington, Illinois

Village in Cook County · population 5,077 (2020 Census)

Map: where South Barrington is in IllinoisSouth Barrington
Median home
$908,300
Household income
$221,575
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 81°
Snow a year
39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
26
Median age
50.1

South Barrington is a village of 5,077 people in Cook County, Illinois. The median home is worth $908,300, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks more upscale than 99% of Illinois towns, better for families than 98% of Illinois towns, better for young professionals than 79% of Illinois towns.

South Barrington in our rankings:

How South Barrington ranks

Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.

South Barrington lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement77th pctFamilies98th pctQuiet62nd pctWalkability53rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals79th pctVibrancy57th pctHip & trendy40th pctCollege town13th pctUpscale99th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling72nd pctTransit76th pctDriving16th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in South Barrington is worth $908,300, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $221,575, which is more affordable than 3% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $2,200 a month. 98.2% of households own their home.

South Barrington vs Cook County vs typical Illinois townSouth BarringtonCook CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$908,300$324,500$156,600Household income$221,575$83,498$72,500Monthly rent$2,200$1,435$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingSouth BarringtonTypical Illinois town
Median home value$908,300$156,600
Median rent$2,200$960
Median household income$221,575$72,500
Home value ÷ income4.1×2.2×
Homeownership98.2%76.6%
Median year built19951967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in South Barrington

PeopleSouth BarringtonTypical Illinois town
Median age50.140.4
Age 65 and over26.4%18.7%
Under 1825.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher73.6%21.8%
Below the poverty line1.0%9.9%
Veterans2.5%—
Born outside the U.S.30.6%—
Work from home19.3%8.9%
Average commute29.0 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband96.2%90.4%

Weather in South Barrington

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 13.4°F. About 40.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.5 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 nights at or below freezing.

South Barrington monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°13°Jan33°16°Feb45°27°Mar58°37°Apr69°48°May78°58°Jun81°63°Jul79°61°Aug72°54°Sep60°42°Oct46°30°Nov34°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.112.61.98.52.44.64.01.15.24.64.04.63.63.40.12.62.02.29.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Barrington 3Sw station (1.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of South Barrington since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 21, 1967 about 7.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 114 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of South Barrington by decade21950s61960s31970s01980s01990s12000s02010s142020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 162 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 26, 2019.

Severe weather in Cook County since 1996

Storm events in Cook County since 1996 by typeHail577Flood220Tornado49High Wind46Lightning57Heavy Rain61Flash Flood207Winter Storm26
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cook County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 34 deaths recorded.

Cook County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 20, 2024FloodDR-4819: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng
November 20, 2023FloodDR-4749: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 15, 2023Severe StormDR-4728: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3435: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Cook County

Cook County had 2,565,567 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $86,931 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in South Barrington itself the ACS puts it at 2%.

Largest industries in Cook CountyHealth care & social assistan…384,200 jobs · $64,525Professional & technical serv…239,300 jobs · $143,750Hotels & restaurants231,612 jobs · $36,807Retail214,653 jobs · $42,744Administrative & support181,641 jobs · $62,372Manufacturing176,781 jobs · $84,867
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cook County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Cook 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in South Barrington

1 public school with 382 students, about 10.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Barbara B Rose Elem SchoolK-538210.9

Towns near South Barrington

South Barrington questions

Is South Barrington, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, South Barrington scores better for retirees than 77% of Illinois towns and quieter than 62%. 26.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.1).

How much does a house cost in South Barrington?

The median owner-occupied home in South Barrington is valued at $908,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $221,575, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $2,200 a month.

What is the weather like in South Barrington?

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 13.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.4 inches of precipitation a year and 38.5 inches of snow.

Does South Barrington get tornadoes?

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of South Barrington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 21, 1967. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to South Barrington's Census boundary (GEOID 1770564). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.