What it's like to live in Skokie
Skokie is a smaller 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. Skokie deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Skokie compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Skokie
Based on Skokie's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,104
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $62,080 a year
- 56% of Skokie renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$77,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,720
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,552/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,552 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 $387,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $387,200 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 54% below US
151 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 2561/100k · Skokie Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 49% above US
54% 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
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 11 private schools. 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 (25 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Skokie's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,552/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Skokie
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