What it's like to live in Hickory Hills
Hickory Hills is a small 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 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. Hickory Hills deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 39" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Hickory Hills compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hickory Hills
Based on Hickory Hills's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,290
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,800 a year
- 46% of Hickory Hills renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$57,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $28,800
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 19% below US
$1,145/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,145 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $288,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $288,000 · 46% 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▼ 76% below US
88 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 1037/100k · Hickory Hills Police Department · 2024 data
Getting around▲ 15% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.9 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; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 31% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 (12 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hickory Hills'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 ($1,145/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Hickory Hills
All Illinois guides →Moving to Bridgeview →
2 mi away · pop. 16,849
Rent $1,177/mo · Income $66,655
Compare with Hickory Hills →Moving to Justice →
2 mi away · pop. 12,324
Rent $1,247/mo · Income $57,170
Compare with Hickory Hills →Moving to Palos Hills →
2 mi away · pop. 18,081
Rent $1,269/mo · Income $83,533
Compare with Hickory Hills →Not sure Hickory Hills is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.