What it's like to live in Park Forest
Park Forest is a small city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach 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. Park Forest deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
How Park Forest compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Park Forest
Based on Park Forest's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,730
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,600 a year
- 44% of Park Forest renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$23,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,530
- Homes cost 1.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,365/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,365 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $115,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $115,300 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 53% above US
6.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.6%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 14% below US
283 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1179/100k · Park 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; 5% take public transit; 8% 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▼ 32% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. 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 (15 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Park Forest's strongest point is home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,365/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Park Forest
All Illinois guides →Moving to Richton Park →
3 mi away · pop. 12,521
Rent $1,294/mo · Income $64,554
Compare with Park Forest →Moving to Chicago Heights →
3 mi away · pop. 26,736
Rent $1,038/mo · Income $54,798
Compare with Park Forest →Moving to Matteson →
4 mi away · pop. 18,645
Rent $1,580/mo · Income $95,457
Compare with Park Forest →Moving to Homewood →
5 mi away · pop. 19,294
Rent $1,333/mo · Income $100,139
Compare with Park Forest →Not sure Park Forest is the one?
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