Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012)

This article, the sixth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Illinois based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, "places" are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 2,000.

The twenty best places to live in Illinois are suburbs of Chicago and exurbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. By county, ten of the best places to live in Illinois are located in Lake County, six in Cook County, and several straddle various counties, including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, and McHenry.

After reading "Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012)," return to this link to read "Largest Cities in Illinois (2012)." A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read "Best Places to Live in America (2011)."

This article may be updated as new data becomes available.

1. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Kenilworth, IL (Cook County)

Population: 2,329

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $216,098
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 87.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.68

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 18 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 72 miles N

2. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Winnetka, IL (Cook County)

Population: 12,344

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $179,404
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 87.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.45

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 22 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 71 miles N

3. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Glencoe, IL (Cook County)

Population: 8,893

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $180,800
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 86.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.66

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 24 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 68 miles N

4. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - South Barrington, IL (Cook County)

Population: 4,117

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $176,907
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 77.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.51

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 34 miles ESE
Milwaukee, WI: 78 miles NNE

5. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Kildeer, IL (Lake County)

Population: 4,065

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $151,980
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 76.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.19

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 33 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 72 miles N

6. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Lake Bluff, IL (Lake County)

Population: 6,227

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $142,506
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 82.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.89

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 34 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 57 miles N

7. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Long Grove, IL (Lake County)

Population: 8,034

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $150,960
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 68.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.5

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 35 miles SE
Milwaukee, WI: 69 miles N

8. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Hinsdale, IL (Cook and DuPage Counties)

Population: 18,019

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $140,749
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 74.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.32

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 21 miles ENE
Milwaukee, WI: 93 miles N

9. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Burr Ridge, IL (Cook and DuPage Counties)

Population: 11,308

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $139,282
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 67.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.11

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 20 miles NE
Milwaukee, WI: 96 miles N

10. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Deerfield, IL (Lake County)

Population: 19,204

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $119,623
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 74.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.31

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 27 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 64 miles N

11. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Hawthorn Woods, IL (Lake County)

Population: 7,893

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $136,029
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 63.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.63

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 39 miles SE
Milwaukee, WI: 65 miles N

12. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Lake Forest, IL (Lake County)

Population: 20,451

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $113,714
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 74.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.99

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 33 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 58 miles N

13. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Barrington Hills, IL (Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry Counties)

Population: 4,181

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $149,730
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 58.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.99

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 38 miles SE
Milwaukee, WI: 75 miles NNE

14. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Western Springs, IL (Cook County)

Population: 12,479

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $115,611
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 73.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.89

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 18 miles ENE
Milwaukee, WI: 91 miles N

15. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - North Barrington, IL (Lake County)

Population: 3,297

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $128,334
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 67.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.07

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 39 miles SE
Milwaukee, WI: 69 miles NNE

16. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Wilmette, IL (Cook County)

Population: 26,313

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $118,229
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 76.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.7

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 17 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 73 miles N

17. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Lincolnshire, IL (Lake County)

Population: 7,427

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $118,238
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 67.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.93

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 31 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 63 miles N

18. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Deer Park, IL (Lake and Cook Counties)

Population: 3,269

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $133,755
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 58.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.96

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 34 miles SE
Milwaukee, WI: 69 miles NNE

19. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Highland Park, IL (Lake County)

Population: 31,944

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $107,128
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 64.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.26

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 27 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 64 miles N

20. Best Places to Live in Illinois (2012) - Riverwoods, IL (Lake County)

Population: 4,493

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $127,044
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 54.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.42

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 29 miles SSE
Milwaukee, WI: 65 miles N

*In some cases, municipalities either do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with a county law enforcement agency or the state police. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from state, county, or contiguous municipality data.

Source(s):

"All Cities in Illinois," City-Data.com
"American Community Survey," U.S. Census Bureau
"American Fact Finder," U.S. Census Bureau
"Uniform Crime Reports - Illinois," Federal Bureau of Investigation
"Crime in Illinois 2008 Executive Summary," Illinois State Police