What it's like to live in Richton Park
Richton Park is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, 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. Richton Park deals with household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Richton Park compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Richton Park
Based on Richton Park's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,588
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,760 a year
- 60% of Richton Park renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$44,180
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,090
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,294/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,294 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $220,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $220,900 · 60% of renters cost-burdened
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)
SafetyNear US average
297 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 1824/100k · Richton Park Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 27% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.1 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; 13% 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▼ 19% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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
Richton Park's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,294/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Richton Park
All Illinois guides →Moving to Matteson →
2 mi away · pop. 18,645
Rent $1,580/mo · Income $95,457
Compare with Richton Park →Moving to Park Forest →
3 mi away · pop. 21,156
Rent $1,365/mo · Income $61,072
Compare with Richton Park →Moving to Country Club Hills →
6 mi away · pop. 16,324
Rent $1,709/mo · Income $75,197
Compare with Richton Park →Not sure Richton Park is the one?
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