What it's like to live in New Lenox
New Lenox 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 a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. New Lenox deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
How New Lenox compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to New Lenox
Based on New Lenox's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,862
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,240 a year
- 46% of New Lenox renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$79,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $39,990
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,431/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,431 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $399,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $399,900 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 82% below US
59 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 799/100k · New Lenox Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 26% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.7 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; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 5.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 32% above US
48% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 48% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (23 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
New Lenox'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 ($1,431/mo) equals 12% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
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