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Modeled estimate · 2026 edition

The Holiday Lighting Cost Index

A transparent, modeled estimate of what professional holiday lighting costs across 108 towns in 12 Midwest metros across 8 states — not measured quotes. We show the assumptions, confidence, and limitations, and let you download the numbers.

Published by CurbsteadUpdated August 10, 2026v0.2.0Modeled estimateNot yet independently reviewed

How to read these numbers

  • Modeled, not measured. Curbstead is pre-launch with no completed installs and no proprietary dataset. These figures come from a pricing model, not real transactions — and every figure is labeled as such.
  • Ranges, not quotes. Treat them as planning ranges. A real quote depends on your specific home and can fall outside the band.
  • Directional by town. Town adjustments reflect housing stock, not measured local quotes. Currently 0 of 108 towns are backed by measured data.

≈ $1,300

Typical install (modeled median)

≈ $600

Entry roofline (modeled median)

$450–$4,800

Modeled metro range

108 towns

Priced individually, not averaged

≈ marks a modeled median across towns. Overall confidence: Modeled — directional. See the methodology for how each tier is derived and how confident we are in it.

Estimate the cost for your specific home →

By metro · modeled

Where a typical install costs more, and why.

A typical install is modeled at $1,600 in Cleveland — East Side against $975 in Kansas City metro — Johnson County, KS — about 64% more, or $625. In this model the driver is housing stock rather than local labour rates: metros whose towns run to larger, steeper and higher rooflines carry more access time and more linear feet, and both push the same job up. Ranges are medians of the towns we publish in each metro, not of the metro as a whole.

Modeled holiday lighting cost by metro — entry, typical and elaborate ranges, 2026 edition, medians of the towns Curbstead publishes in each metro.
MetroTownsEntryTypicalElaborate
Cleveland — East Side6$725$1,600$3,600
St. Louis — Ladue Corridor7$700$1,500$3,400
Chicagoland & the western suburbs20$700$1,400$2,950
Oakland County — Detroit Affluent Suburbs8$625$1,325$3,100
Harbor Country — Southwest Michigan8$600$1,275$3,000
Milwaukee — Affluent Suburbs8$600$1,275$2,950
Columbus metro — Columbus North Ring8$625$1,250$2,900
Cincinnati — Indian Hill Corridor6$600$1,225$2,750
Minneapolis–St. Paul — Twin Cities West Metro8$600$1,225$2,900
Geneva Lakes — Lake Geneva Region8$550$1,125$2,550
Indianapolis metro13$550$1,100$2,300
Kansas City metro — Johnson County, KS8$500$975$2,250

Every figure here is modeled, not measured — see the methodology for how the ranges are built and where they are weakest. If you want a number for one specific roofline rather than a metro median, the estimator walks through the same drivers for your own home, and how Curbstead charges installers explains why these figures carry no markup from us.

Everything above prices a seasonal install — lights leased, hung, maintained and taken down each year. A permanent architectural system is a different purchase on different terms, priced once against a roofline rather than annually against a season, so the two cannot be compared line for line; the permanent lighting guide sets out where each one wins.

Chart · modeled

Modeled cost by town.

Each bar is a town’s modeled low–high range; the dot marks the typical figure. Labeled as a modeled estimate — download it, or embed it with the credit line intact.

Modeled holiday lighting cost by town — 12 Midwest metros, 2026Modeled estimate, not measured data. Each bar shows a town's modeled low-to-high seasonal install range; the dot marks the typical figure.Holiday lighting cost by town12 Midwest metros · 2026 · modeled estimate — not measured datamodeled low–high rangetypical$0k$1k$2k$3k$4k$5kMission Hills$900–$4,500Oak Brook$950–$4,800Hunting Valley$900–$4,700Huntleigh$900–$4,600Bloomfield Hills$900–$4,500Lake Forest$950–$4,800Indian Hill$850–$4,500Winnetka$950–$4,400Ladue$850–$4,300Long Grove$900–$4,200Orono$800–$4,200Inverness$900–$4,000New Albany$800–$4,000Burr Ridge$850–$4,000Linn$800–$4,000Orchard Lake Village$800–$4,000Gates Mills$800–$3,900Barrington$850–$3,800Wilmette$875–$3,800Moreland Hills$750–$3,700Wayzata$750–$3,800Frontenac$750–$3,600Hinsdale$800–$3,500Pepper Pike$700–$3,500Leawood$700–$3,800Mequon$700–$3,600Edina$700–$3,500Grand Beach$700–$3,400Town and Country$700–$3,400Lake Geneva$650–$3,400Franklin$700–$3,300Shaker Heights$650–$3,300Birmingham$650–$3,200Clayton$650–$3,200Dublin$700–$3,200Fox Point$650–$3,200Geist$700–$3,000Michiana$650–$3,000Wheaton$700–$3,000Glen Ellyn$700–$2,900Western Springs$700–$2,900Bexley$650–$3,200Fontana-on-Geneva Lake$650–$3,200New Buffalo$600–$3,200Lakeside$650–$3,100Bayside$600–$3,000Elm Grove$650–$3,000Hyde Park$600–$3,000Upper Arlington$650–$3,000Geneva$650–$2,900Carmel$650–$2,800Naperville$650–$2,800Zionsville$650–$2,800Downers Grove$650–$2,700Clarendon Hills$700–$2,600Minnetonka$600–$3,000Union Pier$600–$3,000West Bloomfield$600–$3,000Chagrin Falls$600–$2,900Harbert$600–$2,900Whitefish Bay$600–$2,900Williams Bay$600–$2,900Montgomery$600–$2,800Eden Prairie$600–$2,800Powell$600–$2,800Terrace Park$600–$2,700Fishers$600–$2,600St. Charles$600–$2,600Westfield$600–$2,600Chesterfield$550–$2,600Frankfort$550–$2,600Mariemont$550–$2,600Troy$550–$2,600Overland Park$500–$2,600Rochester Hills$550–$2,600Sawyer$550–$2,600Shorewood$550–$2,600Beverly Hills$550–$2,500Brookfield$550–$2,500Des Peres$550–$2,500Plymouth$550–$2,500Batavia$550–$2,400Madeira$550–$2,400Noblesville$550–$2,300Whitestown$550–$2,300Worthington$550–$2,400Cicero$550–$2,300Avon$550–$2,200Brownsburg$550–$2,200McCordsville$550–$2,200Wauwatosa$500–$2,400Lenexa$500–$2,300Maple Grove$500–$2,300Westerville$500–$2,300Delavan$500–$2,200Indianapolis$500–$2,200Lewis Center$500–$2,200Orland Park$500–$2,200Olathe$450–$2,200Shawnee$450–$2,100St. Louis Park$500–$2,100Elkhorn$480–$2,000Greenwood$500–$2,000Prairie Village$500–$2,000Three Oaks$450–$1,900Walworth$450–$1,900Fairway$450–$1,800Genoa City$450–$1,800Source: Curbstead — curbstead.com/holiday-lighting-cost · modeled planning estimate, not a quote
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<a href="https://curbstead.com/holiday-lighting-cost">
  <img src="https://curbstead.com/downloads/holiday-lighting-cost-by-town.svg"
       alt="Holiday lighting cost by town, 12 Midwest metros (2026 modeled estimate) — Curbstead"
       width="800" style="max-width:100%;height:auto;border:0" />
</a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://curbstead.com/holiday-lighting-cost">Curbstead Holiday Lighting Cost Index</a> — modeled estimate.</p>
Text attribution
Source: Curbstead Holiday Lighting Cost Index (2026, modeled estimate) — https://curbstead.com/holiday-lighting-cost

By town · modeled

Modeled ranges, town by town.

Ranked by the typical modeled figure. The Basis column states where each number comes from — all modeled today; it will read “Measured” with a sample size once a town is backed by real quote data.

#TownCountyBasisEntryTypicalElaborate
1Mission Hills, KSJohnsonModeled$900$2,200$4,500
2Oak Brook, ILDuPageModeled$950$2,000$4,800
3Hunting Valley, OHCuyahogaModeled$900$2,000$4,700
4Huntleigh, MOSt. LouisModeled$900$2,000$4,600
5Bloomfield Hills, MIOaklandModeled$900$2,000$4,500
6Lake Forest, ILLakeModeled$950$1,950$4,800
7Indian Hill, OHHamiltonModeled$850$1,950$4,500
8Winnetka, ILCookModeled$950$1,900$4,400
9Ladue, MOSt. LouisModeled$850$1,900$4,300
10Long Grove, ILLakeModeled$900$1,850$4,200
11Orono, MNHennepinModeled$800$1,800$4,200
12Inverness, ILCookModeled$900$1,800$4,000
13New Albany, OHFranklinModeled$800$1,800$4,000
14Burr Ridge, ILDuPage / CookModeled$850$1,750$4,000
15Linn, WIWalworthModeled$800$1,700$4,000
16Orchard Lake Village, MIOaklandModeled$800$1,700$4,000
17Gates Mills, OHCuyahogaModeled$800$1,700$3,900
18Barrington, ILCook / LakeModeled$850$1,700$3,800
19Wilmette, ILCookModeled$875$1,700$3,800
20Moreland Hills, OHCuyahogaModeled$750$1,650$3,700
21Wayzata, MNHennepinModeled$750$1,600$3,800
22Frontenac, MOSt. LouisModeled$750$1,600$3,600
23Hinsdale, ILDuPageModeled$800$1,600$3,500
24Pepper Pike, OHCuyahogaModeled$700$1,550$3,500
25Leawood, KSJohnsonModeled$700$1,500$3,800
26Mequon, WIOzaukeeModeled$700$1,500$3,600
27Edina, MNHennepinModeled$700$1,500$3,500
28Grand Beach, MIBerrienModeled$700$1,500$3,400
29Town and Country, MOSt. LouisModeled$700$1,500$3,400
30Lake Geneva, WIWalworthModeled$650$1,400$3,400
31Franklin, MIOaklandModeled$700$1,400$3,300
32Shaker Heights, OHCuyahogaModeled$650$1,400$3,300
33Birmingham, MIOaklandModeled$650$1,400$3,200
34Clayton, MOSt. LouisModeled$650$1,400$3,200
35Dublin, OHFranklinModeled$700$1,400$3,200
36Fox Point, WIMilwaukeeModeled$650$1,400$3,200
37Geist, INMarionModeled$700$1,400$3,000
38Michiana, MIBerrienModeled$650$1,400$3,000
39Wheaton, ILDuPageModeled$700$1,400$3,000
40Glen Ellyn, ILDuPageModeled$700$1,400$2,900
41Western Springs, ILCookModeled$700$1,400$2,900
42Bexley, OHFranklinModeled$650$1,350$3,200
43Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, WIWalworthModeled$650$1,350$3,200
44New Buffalo, MIBerrienModeled$600$1,300$3,200
45Lakeside, MIBerrienModeled$650$1,300$3,100
46Bayside, WIMilwaukeeModeled$600$1,300$3,000
47Elm Grove, WIWaukeshaModeled$650$1,300$3,000
48Hyde Park, OHHamiltonModeled$600$1,300$3,000
49Upper Arlington, OHFranklinModeled$650$1,300$3,000
50Geneva, ILKaneModeled$650$1,300$2,900
51Carmel, INHamiltonModeled$650$1,300$2,800
52Naperville, ILDuPage & WillModeled$650$1,300$2,800
53Zionsville, INBooneModeled$650$1,300$2,800
54Downers Grove, ILDuPageModeled$650$1,300$2,700
55Clarendon Hills, ILDuPageModeled$700$1,300$2,600
56Minnetonka, MNHennepinModeled$600$1,250$3,000
57Union Pier, MIBerrienModeled$600$1,250$3,000
58West Bloomfield, MIOaklandModeled$600$1,250$3,000
59Chagrin Falls, OHCuyahogaModeled$600$1,250$2,900
60Harbert, MIBerrienModeled$600$1,250$2,900
61Whitefish Bay, WIMilwaukeeModeled$600$1,250$2,900
62Williams Bay, WIWalworthModeled$600$1,250$2,900
63Montgomery, OHHamiltonModeled$600$1,250$2,800
64Eden Prairie, MNHennepinModeled$600$1,200$2,800
65Powell, OHDelawareModeled$600$1,200$2,800
66Terrace Park, OHHamiltonModeled$600$1,200$2,700
67Fishers, INHamiltonModeled$600$1,200$2,600
68St. Charles, ILKaneModeled$600$1,200$2,600
69Westfield, INHamiltonModeled$600$1,200$2,600
70Chesterfield, MOSt. LouisModeled$550$1,150$2,600
71Frankfort, ILWillModeled$550$1,150$2,600
72Mariemont, OHHamiltonModeled$550$1,150$2,600
73Troy, MIOaklandModeled$550$1,150$2,600
74Overland Park, KSJohnsonModeled$500$1,100$2,600
75Rochester Hills, MIOaklandModeled$550$1,100$2,600
76Sawyer, MIBerrienModeled$550$1,100$2,600
77Shorewood, WIMilwaukeeModeled$550$1,100$2,600
78Beverly Hills, MIOaklandModeled$550$1,100$2,500
79Brookfield, WIWaukeshaModeled$550$1,100$2,500
80Des Peres, MOSt. LouisModeled$550$1,100$2,500
81Plymouth, MNHennepinModeled$550$1,100$2,500
82Batavia, ILKaneModeled$550$1,100$2,400
83Madeira, OHHamiltonModeled$550$1,100$2,400
84Noblesville, INHamiltonModeled$550$1,100$2,300
85Whitestown, INBooneModeled$550$1,100$2,300
86Worthington, OHFranklinModeled$550$1,050$2,400
87Cicero, INHamiltonModeled$550$1,050$2,300
88Avon, INHendricksModeled$550$1,050$2,200
89Brownsburg, INHendricksModeled$550$1,050$2,200
90McCordsville, INHancockModeled$550$1,050$2,200
91Wauwatosa, WIMilwaukeeModeled$500$1,000$2,400
92Lenexa, KSJohnsonModeled$500$1,000$2,300
93Maple Grove, MNHennepinModeled$500$1,000$2,300
94Westerville, OHFranklinModeled$500$1,000$2,300
95Delavan, WIWalworthModeled$500$1,000$2,200
96Indianapolis, INMarionModeled$500$1,000$2,200
97Lewis Center, OHDelawareModeled$500$1,000$2,200
98Orland Park, ILCookModeled$500$1,000$2,200
99Olathe, KSJohnsonModeled$450$950$2,200
100Shawnee, KSJohnsonModeled$450$950$2,100
101St. Louis Park, MNHennepinModeled$500$950$2,100
102Elkhorn, WIWalworthModeled$480$950$2,000
103Greenwood, INJohnsonModeled$500$950$2,000
104Prairie Village, KSJohnsonModeled$500$950$2,000
105Three Oaks, MIBerrienModeled$450$900$1,900
106Walworth, WIWalworthModeled$450$900$1,900
107Fairway, KSJohnsonModeled$450$850$1,800
108Genoa City, WIWalworthModeled$450$850$1,800

By service · modeled

Modeled ranges by service.

Christmas Light Installation

$800–$3,500

per season — roofline; add trees and wreaths

Christmas lights details →

Permanent Architectural Lighting

$3,500–$14,000

one-time install, priced by linear footage

Permanent lighting details →

Halloween Decorating

$600–$3,000

per season — entry + roofline accents

Halloween details →

Commercial Holiday Lighting

$1,500–$25,000

per season — scoped by property and access

Commercial details →

What moves the number

Four things drive the quote.

Roofline linear footage

The biggest driver at the entry tier. Every foot of eave and peak is measured, clipped, and strand-matched.

Stories & roof pitch

A tall, steep, multi-gable roof is a slower, higher-labor job than a wide single-story.

Tree & shrub wrapping

The line item people underestimate. Mature trees can rival a roofline and need a bucket truck.

Lease vs. buy

Most homeowners lease — the installer owns, maintains, removes, and stores the lights each season.

The full breakdown is in the cost guide and the lease-vs-buy guide.

Methodology

How this estimate is built — and what it isn’t.

Each town’s range is a metro baseline adjusted for the factors that actually move a holiday-lighting quote — roofline linear footage, story count and roof pitch, tree and shrub wrapping, and site access — using that town’s housing stock. The baseline reflects a seasonal lease with commercial-grade LEDs, professional installation, in-season maintenance, and takedown. It is a model, not a record of transactions.

Assumptions

  • Prices assume a seasonal lease: the installer owns commercial-grade LEDs, installs them, maintains them through the season, then removes and stores them.
  • Figures cover professional installation — not DIY, and not retail materials.
  • The baseline is a typical owner-occupied single-family home in each town; condos, teardowns, and the largest estates fall outside the band.
  • Per-town figures are adjusted from a metro baseline using each town's housing stock — story mix, roofline complexity, lot size, and access — not from measured quotes.

Confidence by tier

Entry roofline — confidence: Medium
A well-understood job with a relatively narrow range across homes.
Typical (roofline + trees & wreaths) — confidence: Medium-Low
Widens quickly with tree count, property size, and access.
Elaborate full display — confidence: Low
Highly variable — driven by scope, access, and taste.

Limitations

  • These are modeled estimates, not measured transactions. Curbstead is pre-launch and has not completed installs; there is no proprietary quote dataset behind these numbers yet.
  • They are planning ranges, not quotes. A real quote depends on your specific home and can land outside the band.
  • The model reflects one marketplace's view of pricing — not a survey of the whole market or every installer.
  • Town-level adjustments are directional. Two similar homes on the same street can differ materially.

Disclosure

Curbstead is a marketplace and does not install lights; it earns a fee when it matches a homeowner with an installer, who then quotes and contracts with you directly. These figures are modeled planning estimates — not measured data, not quotes, and not independent research. We publish the assumptions, limitations, and sources below so you can judge them yourself.

When we have measured data

As installs complete, we will replace modeled town figures with measured accepted-quote data, switch that town’s Basis to “Measured” with a sample size and date, and note it in the version history. The page is built so that swap changes only the numbers and labels — never the structure — so you can always tell modeled from measured.

Third-party references

For comparison.

These are other organizations’ references — their figures, not ours. We link them so you can compare our modeled ranges against national cost guides and safety authorities.

Version history

What changed, when.

First published July 13, 2026 · Last updated August 10, 2026.

  • v0.2.0 · August 10, 2026

    Corrected the stated scope. The index had always priced all 108 towns across all 12 markets and 8 states, but the title, summary and chart described it as a Chicagoland document — so 88 of the towns in its own table were outside the area it claimed to cover. Added a per-metro comparison derived from the same registry, so the twelve markets can be read against each other.

  • v0.1.0 · July 13, 2026

    Initial modeled edition. Per-town and per-service estimate ranges derived from a metro baseline adjusted by housing stock. No measured data yet; figures clearly labeled as modeled.

Questions

Common questions.

Are these real quotes or estimates?
They are modeled estimates, not quotes and not measured transactions. Curbstead is pre-launch and has not completed installs, so there is no proprietary quote dataset behind these numbers yet. We label every figure as modeled and publish the assumptions and limitations below.
How much does professional holiday light installation cost?
Based on this model, a professional seasonal install typically runs from about $600 for an entry roofline to $2,900 for an elaborate full-property display, with a modeled midpoint near $1,300. Across all 108 towns the modeled range spans $450 to $4,800. Your actual quote depends on your specific home and can land outside the band.
Does holiday lighting cost more in some metros than others?
Yes, and the gap is large. On this model a typical install runs $1,600 in Cleveland — East Side against $975 in Kansas City metro — Johnson County, KS — about 64% more, or $625. The driver in this model is housing stock rather than local labour rates: metros whose towns run to larger, steeper and higher rooflines carry more access time and more linear feet, and both push the same job up.
Why does the model show higher prices in some towns?
The model adjusts a metro baseline by each town's housing stock — roofline complexity, story count, lot size, and access. Larger, more complex homes (Oak Brook tops the model) push higher than compact homes in more attainable towns like Fairway. These adjustments are directional.
Are these prices for leasing or buying the lights?
The model assumes a seasonal lease: the installer owns commercial-grade LEDs, maintains them through the season, and handles takedown and storage. Buying your own lowers the recurring cost but shifts storage, failures, and re-measuring onto you.
How current is this, and will it change?
This is the 2026 edition (v0.2.0), last updated August 10, 2026. As we complete installs, we will replace modeled town figures with measured accepted-quote data and label those rows as Measured with a sample size and date. The version history on the page tracks every change.

Keep reading

Cost guide →Lease vs. buy →When to book →All service areas →Permanent lighting →

Want your actual number?

The model is a planning range. A real quote for your specific home is free.

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