What it's like to live in Palos Heights
Palos Heights 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. Palos Heights deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 39" per year
How Palos Heights compares
Median household income
Median home value
What it takes to move to Palos Heights
Based on Palos Heights's median rent, home value and household income
To buy
$73,420
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,710
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
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▼ 85% below US
50 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 833/100k · Palos Heights Police Department · 2025 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; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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
Palos Heights'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. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Palos Heights
All Illinois guides →Moving to Chicago Ridge →
3 mi away · pop. 14,099
Rent $1,304/mo · Income $68,964
Compare with Palos Heights →Moving to Palos Hills →
3 mi away · pop. 18,081
Rent $1,269/mo · Income $83,533
Compare with Palos Heights →Not sure Palos Heights is the one?
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