What it's like to live in Cicero
Cicero is a smaller city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cicero deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 39" per year
How Cicero compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cicero
Based on Cicero's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,308
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,160 a year
- 44% of Cicero renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,940
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 18% below US
$1,154/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,154 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $249,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $249,400 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 14% above US
4.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 32% below US
222 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 1015/100k · Cicero Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.3 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; 7% take public transit; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 70% below US
11% 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
18 public schools inside the boundary
There are 18 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to 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 (13 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Cicero's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,154/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Cicero
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