What it's like to live in Riverdale
Riverdale is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, 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. Riverdale deals with household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
How Riverdale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Riverdale
Based on Riverdale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,462
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,240 a year
- 69% of Riverdale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$22,760
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,380
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 13% below US
$1,231/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,231 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $113,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $113,800 · 69% 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)
Safety▲ 16% above US
382 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 2466/100k · Riverdale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 30% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.9 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. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% take public transit; 12% 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
Education & workforce▼ 53% below US
17% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 (4 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Riverdale'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 ($1,231/mo) equals 37% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Riverdale
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