What it's like to live in Oak Park
Oak Park is a smaller city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, schools with smaller class sizes than the national average, and public transit that many commuters actually use. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Oak Park deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Below-average hospital ratings
- Cold winters
How Oak Park compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Oak Park
Based on Oak Park's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,186
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,720 a year
- 41% of Oak Park renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$93,100
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $46,550
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 13% above US
$1,593/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,593 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 $465,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $465,500 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 28% below US
236 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 2997/100k · Oak Park Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 22% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.6 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. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% take public transit; 31% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 101% above US
73% 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
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 9 private schools. 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 (16 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Oak Park's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,593/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (31% of workers here already work from home), and people who would rather not drive.
Other places near Oak Park
All Illinois guides →Moving to River Forest →
2 mi away · pop. 11,992
Rent $1,554/mo · Income $146,786
Compare with Oak Park →Moving to Forest Park →
2 mi away · pop. 13,943
Rent $1,367/mo · Income $77,221
Compare with Oak Park →Not sure Oak Park is the one?
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