Moving to
West Chicago.

All West Chicago data Compare West Chicago

25,395people live here $99,927median household income▲ 24% above US $1,469median rent per monthNear US average $336,800median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in West Chicago

West Chicago 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. West Chicago deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, 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
High rent burden for renters
Cold winters
Snowy winters — 46" per year
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How West Chicago compares

Median household income

West Chicago$99,927

Illinois avg$83,390

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

West Chicago$1,469

Illinois avg$1,274

US$1,413

Median home value

West Chicago$336,800

Illinois avg$263,300

US$332,700

What it takes to move to West Chicago

Based on West Chicago's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,938

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,760 a year
60% of West Chicago renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$67,360

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $33,680
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

$1,469/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,469 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 $336,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $336,800 · 60% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.6% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 56% below US

145 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 613/100k · West Chicago Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

26 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 26.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

65%

Carpool

19%

Work from home

12%

Other

2.3%

Public transit

1.1%

Walk

0.9%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▼ 11% below US

32% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 32% 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

10 public schools inside the boundary

There are 10 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 (35 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

West Chicago'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 ($1,469/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

See all the data for West Chicago →·All Illinois cities →