Moving to
Elmwood Park.

All Elmwood Park data Compare Elmwood Park

23,868people live here $91,955median household income▲ 14% above US $1,334median rent per monthNear US average $339,300median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Elmwood Park

Elmwood Park is a small city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, 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. Elmwood Park deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and cold winters.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Above-average commute times
Air quality concerns
Shrinking population
Cold winters
Snowy winters — 38" per year

How Elmwood Park compares

Median household income

Elmwood Park$91,955

Illinois avg$83,390

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Elmwood Park$1,334

Illinois avg$1,274

US$1,413

Median home value

Elmwood Park$339,300

Illinois avg$263,300

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Elmwood Park

Based on Elmwood Park's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,668

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $53,360 a year
40% of Elmwood Park renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$67,860

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $33,930
Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,334/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,334 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $339,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $339,300 · 40% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.6% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 72% below US

94 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 1203/100k · Elmwood Park Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 24% above US

32 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.2 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% take public transit; 14% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

71%

Work from home

14%

Carpool

7.0%

Public transit

5.0%

Other

2.0%

Walk

1.5%

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

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforceNear US average

33% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

3 public schools inside the boundary

There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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

Elmwood Park's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,334/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.

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