Buffalo Grove 55+ Active Adult Retirement Communities

Overview

Buffalo Grove is a small suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Its close proximity to the big city as well as parks and outdoor recreation have made it a desirable location for retirees. Besides that, the city is home to a quaint downtown, plenty of annual festivals and parades, and local breweries and antique shops. 

Climate & Geography 

Like most of Northern Illinois, Buffalo Grove has a humid continental climate. Summers are warm and wet, winters are freezing and windy, and it is partly cloudy most of the year. Also, residents can expect more snow than the national average. 

Buffalo Grove is built mostly on prairie land and his home to plenty of fields and farms. There are also a few small bodies of water surrounding the town.

Recreation, Culture, & Entertainment 

Buffalo Grove residents looking to get outside have several parks to choose from. Just outside the city is Ryerson Woods Forest Preserve, which features scenic and wooded trails.

Buffalo Grove is home to the Buffalo Grove Town Center, which is its major shopping and retail destination. The town also hosts a number of annual festivals and parades, contributing to the tight-knit community. Popular events include the Buffalo Grove Invitational Fine Arts Festival and Buffalo Grove Days Festival. There are also a number of antique shops, breweries, and museums.

Just an hour from one of the most popular cities in the nation, Chicago, residents can drive down and explore all the amenities and attractions of a big city. 

Cost of Living & Taxes

The cost of living in Buffalo Grove is only slightly higher than national and state averages. This is due to the high housing cost, which is above the U.S. average. 

In Illinois, Social Security benefits and income from retirement plans are exempt from taxation. Any form of regular income is taxed at a flat rate of 4.95 percent. Also, retirees who are 65 and older are eligible for certain tax breaks on their home, which can be up to $5,000. The sales tax rate in Buffalo Grove is 10 percent, which is much higher than the national average. 

Health Care 

The Chicago metro area ranks in the top 85 communities on Gallup's Well-Being Index.

There are several hospitals near Buffalo Grove that are rated high performing by U.S. News. These include Northwest Community Hospital, Advocate Condell Medical Center, and Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, all within 8 miles of the city. In addition, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and NorthShore University HealthSystem-Metro Chicago, located within 15 miles, are both nationally ranked.