What it's like to live in Oak Forest
Oak Forest is a small city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach, 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. Oak Forest deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and cold winters.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
How Oak Forest compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Oak Forest
Based on Oak Forest's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,656
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $53,120 a year
- 41% of Oak Forest renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,510
- 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
$1,328/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,328 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $255,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $255,100 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 90% below US
34 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 349/100k · Oak Forest Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 22% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.8 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; 6% take public transit; 11% 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 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 13% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% 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
17 public schools inside the boundary
There are 17 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 (10 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Oak Forest's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and household incomes running above 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 ($1,328/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Oak Forest
All Illinois guides →Moving to Midlothian →
2 mi away · pop. 13,948
Rent $1,249/mo · Income $70,000
Compare with Oak Forest →Moving to Crestwood →
3 mi away · pop. 10,579
Rent $1,334/mo · Income $75,752
Compare with Oak Forest →Moving to Country Club Hills →
3 mi away · pop. 16,324
Rent $1,709/mo · Income $75,197
Compare with Oak Forest →Not sure Oak Forest is the one?
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