Moving to
Lincolnwood.

All Lincolnwood data Compare Lincolnwood

13,112people live here $109,731median household income▲ 36% above US $3,500+median rent per monthCensus top category $496,400median home value▲ 49% above US

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it's like to live in Lincolnwood

Lincolnwood is a small 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. Lincolnwood deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.

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
Above-average commute times
Air quality concerns
Shrinking population
High rent burden for renters

How Lincolnwood compares

Median household income

Lincolnwood$109,731

Illinois avg$83,390

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Lincolnwood$3,500+

Illinois avg$1,274

US$1,413

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median home value

Lincolnwood$496,400

Illinois avg$263,300

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Lincolnwood

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

To rent

$7,002

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $140,040 a year
58% of Lincolnwood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$99,280

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $49,640
Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingCensus top category

$3,500+/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,500+ a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $496,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $496,400 · 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▼ 63% below US

123 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 1797/100k · Lincolnwood Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

29 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 28.5 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; 25% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

59%

Work from home

25%

Carpool

11%

Public transit

4.1%

Walk

0.7%

Other

0.4%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 57% above US

57% 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

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, 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

Lincolnwood'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. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (25% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

See all the data for Lincolnwood →·All Illinois cities →