What it's like to live in Downers Grove

Downers Grove is a smaller city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Downers Grove deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold, harsh winters.

The good

  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Low crime rates
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Air quality concerns
  • Cold, harsh winters

How Downers Grove compares

Median household income

Downers Grove$115,114
Illinois avg$83,390
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Downers Grove$1,656
Illinois avg$1,274
US$1,413

Median home value

Downers Grove$449,800
Illinois avg$263,300
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Downers Grove

Based on Downers Grove's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,312

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,240 a year
  • 48% of Downers Grove renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$89,960

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $44,980
  • Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 17% above US

$1,656/mo median rent

Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,656 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $449,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $449,800 · 48% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▼ 12% below US

3.8% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 76% below US

79 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 768/100k · Downers Grove 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. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% take public transit; 24% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
61%
Work from home
24%
Public transit
7.4%
Carpool
4.5%
Walk
2.3%
Other
0.7%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
0°20°40°60°80°100°5"Jan: 2.19" precipitationFeb: 1.96" precipitationMar: 2.36" precipitationApr: 3.82" precipitationMay: 4.79" precipitationJun: 4.43" precipitationJul: 4.25" precipitationAug: 4.35" precipitationSep: 3.36" precipitationOct: 3.58" precipitationNov: 2.77" precipitationDec: 2.32" precipitation15°JJan: high 32°F, low 15°FFFeb: high 35°F, low 18°FMMar: high 47°F, low 26°FAApr: high 59°F, low 36°FMMay: high 71°F, low 47°FJJun: high 81°F, low 58°F84°JJul: high 84°F, low 62°FAAug: high 83°F, low 60°FSSep: high 76°F, low 52°FOOct: high 63°F, low 40°FNNov: high 48°F, low 30°FDDec: high 37°F, low 21°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 62% above US

58% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

15 public schools inside the boundary

There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 7 private schools. 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 (22 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Downers Grove's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,656/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

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