What it's like to live in Bellwood
Bellwood is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bellwood deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 42" per year
How Bellwood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bellwood
Based on Bellwood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,586
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,720 a year
- 58% of Bellwood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,000
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,293/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,293 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $230,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $230,000 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Cook County is 4.8%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Cook County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 21% below US
261 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1028/100k · Bellwood Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 52% below US
17% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (19 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bellwood's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,293/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Bellwood
All Illinois guides →Moving to Melrose Park →
2 mi away · pop. 24,549
Rent $1,176/mo · Income $66,189
Compare with Bellwood →Moving to Westchester →
2 mi away · pop. 16,436
Rent $1,794/mo · Income $98,954
Compare with Bellwood →Not sure Bellwood is the one?
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