What it's like to live in Villa Park
Villa Park is a small city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, 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. Villa Park deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 42" per year
How Villa Park compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Villa Park
Based on Villa Park's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,876
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,520 a year
- 35% of Villa Park renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$65,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,900
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,438/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,438 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $329,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $329,000 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in DuPage County is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
DuPage County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 57% below US
141 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 1138/100k · Villa Park Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.8 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; 21% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 2 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 (23 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Villa Park'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 cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,438/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Villa Park
All Illinois guides →Moving to Elmhurst →
2 mi away · pop. 45,671
Rent $1,975/mo · Income $149,644
Compare with Villa Park →Moving to Northlake →
4 mi away · pop. 12,513
Rent $1,123/mo · Income $83,892
Compare with Villa Park →Not sure Villa Park is the one?
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