Posted by: Richie Bernardo

If you plan to move your family to Illinois, you’ll want to rub Abe Lincoln’s “lucky” nose for good fortune. The state’s economy — the fifth largest by GDP — has been in chronic hot water. For two years, Illinois struggled to pass a budget and today owes billions in past-due bills. But some cities will feel the financial pinch more than others.

To the Prairie State’s credit, many of its cities still offer plenty of incentives for new and growing families. Rising home values, the 11th best school system in the U.S. and a prestigious roster of employers that includes 36 of the Fortune 500 companies are among the state’s strongest qualities — and many of the highlights that parents look to cross off on their list of priorities. And while Illinois winters can be quite harsh, families have ample indoor and outdoor opportunities for fun throughout the year.

To determine the best places in Illinois for families to put down roots, WalletHub compared more than 222 cities in the state across 21 key indicators of family-friendliness. Our data set ranges from the share of families with young children to median family income to housing affordability. Read on for the results, additional insight from our panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/18426/geochart-illinois.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2AoRzoe;  

Best Places to Raise a Family in Illinois

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	City	Total Score	‘Family Life & Fun’ Rank	‘Education, Health & Safety’ Rank	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Socio-economics’ Rank
1	Naperville, IL	70.68	11	27	37	9
2	Libertyville, IL	70.60	78	9	4	24
3	Troy, IL	69.68	5	44	35	63
4	Washington, IL	69.67	19	51	12	31
5	Columbia, IL	69.51	68	11	22	57
6	Chatham, IL	69.33	46	36	5	29
7	Normal, IL	69.14	7	81	8	80
8	Crystal Lake, IL	68.70	52	30	36	54
9	Plainfield, IL	68.62	90	32	10	28
10	Lindenhurst, IL	68.57	66	17	26	3
11	Yorkville, IL	68.14	41	8	50	52
12	Waterloo, IL	67.70	124	37	14	18
13	Channahon, IL	67.60	108	3	47	21
14	Deerfield, IL	67.40	14	35	84	12
15	Vernon Hills, IL	67.39	36	19	73	35
16	Morton, IL	67.37	131	46	2	19
17	Warrenville, IL	67.25	60	21	18	83
18	Edwardsville, IL	67.21	21	85	17	72
19	Glen Ellyn, IL	67.17	118	43	11	36
20	Glen Carbon, IL	67.12	104	72	9	32
21	St. Charles, IL	67.12	101	60	24	41
22	Cary, IL	66.39	170	15	20	58
23	Roscoe, IL	66.37	98	23	29	87
24	Grayslake, IL	66.34	76	25	30	85
25	Wheaton, IL	66.33	122	29	33	34
26	Western Springs, IL	66.14	113	2	117	1
27	Dixon, IL	66.13	6	69	25	140
28	O'Fallon, IL	65.97	75	77	31	70
29	Oswego, IL	65.88	92	67	39	20
30	New Lenox, IL	65.81	157	59	32	26
31	Lake Zurich, IL	65.66	109	63	27	11
32	Algonquin, IL	65.55	184	34	21	14
33	Effingham, IL	65.51	3	116	13	142
34	Bourbonnais, IL	65.39	64	6	86	114
35	Antioch, IL	65.37	59	96	15	90
36	Macomb, IL	65.36	15	53	1	191
37	Lake Forest, IL	65.14	149	1	82	53
38	Batavia, IL	65.09	136	87	16	27
39	Mokena, IL	65.09	169	57	41	2
40	Winnetka, IL	64.51	80	14	114	22
41	Lockport, IL	64.17	119	95	45	56
42	Gurnee, IL	63.96	38	131	42	74
43	Montgomery, IL	63.96	16	78	67	107
44	Lake in the Hills, IL	63.95	110	73	55	81
45	Shiloh, IL	63.90	134	112	7	30
46	Round Lake, IL	63.75	63	49	78	91
47	Minooka, IL	63.59	33	163	64	17
48	Highland Park, IL	63.54	151	47	38	73
49	Geneva, IL	63.50	117	33	76	51
50	South Elgin, IL	63.49	68	94	40	86
51	Bloomington, IL	63.49	48	140	6	113
52	Carol Stream, IL	63.25	159	22	68	92
53	Lemont, IL	63.01	127	39	120	7
54	Gages Lake, IL	62.69	132	179	3	76
55	Pontiac, IL	62.35	12	98	28	168
56	Homer Glen, IL	62.31	210	4	113	4
57	Frankfort, IL	62.22	70	68	112	40
58	Elmhurst, IL	62.17	24	83	143	36
59	Bartlett, IL	62.11	154	75	116	10
60	Mundelein, IL	62.00	147	89	69	39
61	Huntley, IL	61.98	217	7	79	6
62	Lisle, IL	61.96	137	42	63	89
63	Lincoln, IL	61.95	22	84	34	171
64	Taylorville, IL	61.89	162	5	59	156
65	Campton Hills, IL	61.88	129	16	121	16
66	Downers Grove, IL	61.84	194	65	48	46
67	Romeoville, IL	61.80	67	91	83	115
68	Buffalo Grove, IL	61.66	173	31	118	15
69	McHenry, IL	61.56	141	74	58	68
70	Hinsdale, IL	61.55	86	20	140	55
71	North Aurora, IL	61.40	100	93	101	59
72	Canton, IL	61.04	99	10	75	169
73	Wilmette, IL	60.93	121	86	144	13
74	La Grange Park, IL	60.79	97	18	154	38
75	West Chicago, IL	60.73	4	144	127	95
76	Darien, IL	60.62	216	26	80	47
77	Round Lake Beach, IL	60.50	53	129	81	101
78	Godfrey, IL	60.40	187	166	43	65
79	Villa Park, IL	60.24	114	71	107	93
80	La Grange, IL	60.21	40	88	142	61
81	Barrington, IL	60.11	88	28	145	75
82	Wauconda, IL	60.01	79	143	77	96
83	Oak Park, IL	59.97	9	118	137	102
84	Woodstock, IL	59.81	61	64	100	151
85	Ottawa, IL	59.53	45	66	102	164
86	Bolingbrook, IL	59.42	96	122	71	112
87	Sterling, IL	59.40	29	110	66	162
88	Plano, IL	59.39	34	48	108	167
89	Sycamore, IL	59.33	135	97	57	110
90	Park Ridge, IL	59.32	112	56	167	25
91	Glenview, IL	59.24	94	52	173	33
92	Shorewood, IL	59.14	189	101	44	105
93	Swansea, IL	59.12	163	117	54	82
94	Herrin, IL	59.03	57	145	52	157
95	Marion, IL	58.90	111	123	51	154
96	Pekin, IL	58.70	87	150	53	139
97	East Peoria, IL	58.67	142	157	19	100
98	Bradley, IL	58.57	25	156	88	126
99	Quincy, IL	58.57	73	167	46	137
100	Arlington Heights, IL	58.50	174	40	163	23
101	Hoffman Estates, IL	58.29	175	50	148	45
102	Roselle, IL	58.02	148	24	149	71
103	Palatine, IL	57.89	103	99	150	79
104	Woodridge, IL	57.76	164	127	115	48
105	Belvidere, IL	57.54	95	106	89	158
106	Aurora, IL	57.32	51	151	103	133
107	Lombard, IL	57.15	177	119	111	69
108	Orland Park, IL	57.12	209	104	126	49
109	Beach Park, IL	57.08	72	182	106	88
110	Bloomingdale, IL	56.61	211	115	95	50
111	Charleston, IL	56.56	28	12	134	198
112	Hanover Park, IL	56.56	107	55	166	124
113	Joliet, IL	56.41	22	154	110	153
114	Northbrook, IL	56.22	202	58	172	5
115	Jacksonville, IL	56.05	77	160	56	166
116	Moline, IL	55.91	30	188	85	131
117	Morris, IL	55.51	105	109	138	136
118	Kewanee, IL	55.40	43	162	60	185
119	Springfield, IL	55.35	1	215	23	159
120	Carpentersville, IL	55.10	18	125	168	143
121	Fox Lake, IL	55.03	220	41	94	145
122	Addison, IL	54.99	83	126	158	123
123	Elk Grove Village, IL	54.99	165	111	162	64
124	Galesburg, IL	54.93	35	175	74	172
125	River Forest, IL	54.87	42	120	177	77
126	Glendale Heights, IL	54.87	143	121	131	120
127	Streator, IL	54.76	160	135	70	176
128	Oak Forest, IL	54.67	199	113	132	106
129	Mount Prospect, IL	54.66	152	45	205	43
130	Wood Dale, IL	54.65	178	54	141	141
131	Rock Island, IL	54.61	20	169	96	177
132	Schaumburg, IL	54.46	188	103	159	62
133	Burr Ridge, IL	54.44	215	13	150	60
134	Champaign, IL	54.34	55	198	49	150
135	Freeport, IL	54.17	91	102	92	194
136	Westmont, IL	54.04	185	90	153	109
137	Tinley Park, IL	53.92	204	138	130	78
138	Brookfield, IL	53.82	128	100	165	118
139	Collinsville, IL	53.81	158	168	109	135
140	Machesney Park, IL	53.57	186	132	93	152
141	Urbana, IL	53.06	71	170	91	180
142	Crest Hill, IL	52.93	123	105	135	160
143	Elgin, IL	52.85	37	148	184	138
144	Des Plaines, IL	52.82	195	92	188	66
145	Loves Park, IL	52.82	145	161	87	147
146	Evanston, IL	52.64	85	133	187	121
147	Mattoon, IL	52.46	54	147	124	192
148	Rolling Meadows, IL	52.43	155	70	180	116
149	Granite City, IL	52.39	146	183	61	165
150	Wheeling, IL	52.11	138	146	176	98
151	Franklin Park, IL	52.09	183	61	183	122
152	Palos Heights, IL	51.59	222	76	156	42
153	Bensenville, IL	51.41	133	107	190	111
154	Prospect Heights, IL	51.39	161	38	212	84
155	Fairview Heights, IL	51.31	171	206	62	99
156	Morton Grove, IL	51.29	212	82	198	44
157	Westchester, IL	51.20	218	142	155	67
158	Rantoul, IL	51.13	58	173	104	193
159	East Moline, IL	51.06	44	184	119	178
160	Carbondale, IL	51.05	2	174	128	204
160	Evergreen Park, IL	51.05	193	152	147	119
162	Centralia, IL	51.05	47	187	97	201
163	Wood River, IL	50.71	56	192	90	190
164	Homewood, IL	50.67	167	165	122	149
165	Peoria, IL	50.51	32	207	72	186
166	Waukegan, IL	50.18	50	185	139	173
167	Lincolnwood, IL	49.93	208	154	192	8
168	Northlake, IL	49.92	81	149	178	144
169	Streamwood, IL	49.87	182	189	164	104
170	Midlothian, IL	49.76	166	158	157	134
171	Palos Hills, IL	49.65	206	62	191	129
172	Belleville, IL	49.56	74	205	98	174
173	Burbank, IL	49.41	190	108	200	117
174	Lyons, IL	48.75	84	114	204	155
175	Oak Lawn, IL	48.61	207	128	186	125
176	DeKalb, IL	48.53	31	201	133	184
177	Matteson, IL	48.12	205	194	65	182
178	North Chicago, IL	47.95	10	219	152	188
179	Skokie, IL	47.93	197	134	209	103
179	Zion, IL	47.93	62	196	123	197
181	Schiller Park, IL	47.56	176	136	210	108
182	Hickory Hills, IL	46.86	196	79	213	130
183	Decatur, IL	46.71	125	204	99	189
184	Elmwood Park, IL	46.66	200	124	208	132
185	Melrose Park, IL	46.64	17	139	221	179
186	Alton, IL	46.23	27	195	129	205
187	Alsip, IL	46.23	130	137	196	181
188	Berwyn, IL	45.55	153	171	189	160
189	Worth, IL	45.39	198	130	206	146
190	River Grove, IL	44.98	180	141	216	127
191	Norridge, IL	44.69	221	80	211	97
192	Niles, IL	44.56	213	153	218	94
193	Mount Vernon, IL	44.37	26	220	105	202
194	Cicero, IL	44.27	65	159	217	183
195	Crestwood, IL	44.21	203	200	160	128
196	Park Forest, IL	43.43	168	172	146	207
197	Summit, IL	42.99	13	164	220	187
198	South Holland, IL	42.95	181	176	171	196
199	Forest Park, IL	42.04	139	202	199	148
200	Bridgeview, IL	41.94	172	180	201	163
201	Rockford, IL	41.88	106	218	125	203
202	Danville, IL	41.75	8	222	136	206
203	Justice, IL	41.50	89	186	215	170
204	Kankakee, IL	41.40	49	209	161	210
205	Bellwood, IL	40.51	126	181	185	208
206	Chicago Ridge, IL	39.82	116	177	222	175
207	Lansing, IL	38.74	191	211	182	199
208	Richton Park, IL	38.47	140	191	174	213
209	Chicago Heights, IL	38.19	120	197	179	214
210	Blue Island, IL	38.18	150	193	207	200
211	Sauk Village, IL	37.73	179	178	170	216
212	Hazel Crest, IL	36.33	192	199	175	215
213	Country Club Hills, IL	35.99	219	190	181	209
214	Cahokia, IL	35.55	39	213	169	219
215	Chicago, IL	34.99	115	216	219	195
216	Calumet City, IL	34.54	82	217	195	212
217	Maywood, IL	33.94	156	212	203	211
218	Markham, IL	30.50	201	203	193	218
219	Riverdale, IL	29.24	102	210	197	221
220	East St. Louis, IL	28.22	93	214	202	220
221	Dolton, IL	27.96	214	221	194	217
222	Harvey, IL	26.18	144	208	214	222

 

Ask the Experts

Families share a number of common priorities when choosing a new place to call home. With that in mind, we asked a panel of experts in fields such as family studies and public health to share their insight regarding the process of evaluating prospective Illinois cities on a family’s shortlist. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Illinois?
2. How can local officials in Illinois make their cities more attractive to young families?
3. Looking just within Illinois, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in?

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• Fred E. Markowitz Associate Professor of Sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Northern Illinois University
• Xiaohui Sophie Li Assistant Professor of Family and Child Studies in the College of Health and Human Services at Northern Illinois University
• Lori Klose Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Elmhurst College
• Robert Currie Professor of Psychology at Judson University
• Axton Betz-Hamilton Assistant Professor of Consumer Studies at Eastern Illinois University

Fred E. Markowitz Associate Professor of Sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Northern Illinois University What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Illinois? Cities and neighborhoods with a higher percentage of educated parents will generally have higher ‘quality’ schools for a number of reasons. More educated parents are more likely to help prepare their children for learning by reading to them in their earliest years. Moreover, ‘quality’ schools are likely to be comprised of parents who are engaged in their child’s learning process — for example, by communicating with teachers. Research shows that more educated parents are likely to convey expectations of high educational and occupational attainment as their children develop. As a practical matter, however, the higher the socioeconomic status of a city or neighborhood, the less affordable that city or neighborhood may be. Therefore, for middle-income families, the challenge is to find the right balance between housing costs and job opportunities in stable communities. How can local officials in Illinois make their cities more attractive to young families? Local officials can help make their communities more attractive to young families in a number of ways. Foremost, is by promoting their communities as ideal locations for businesses that require both highly skilled and semi-skilled labor — one of the essential challenges in a post-industrial economy. Good paying jobs allow for the needed revenue to Invest in public education, drawing sufficient numbers of talented, motivated teachers. This helps keep families in public, rather than private schools, thus improving the overall quality of the schools and reduces families’ educational costs. Local officials can also try to maintain quality recreational amenities, such as parks, athletics, and music and arts programs for all ages. Simply put, families will be drawn to communities with good jobs, schools, and amenities. Looking just within Illinois, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in? Not only in Illinois, but generally, a child’s development and a family's quality of life are influenced strongly by the city, or the neighborhood within the city they live in. For example, beyond individual factors, research shows that persons living in areas where there is higher crime and disorder are more likely to experience signs of depression. Also, the ‘culture’ of a community exerts a strong influence on a young person's likelihood of graduating high school, getting pregnant, and getting in trouble with the law. Families’ well-being is highly dependent on community in many ways, from labor market opportunities, to their sense of trust and connectedness to others, to life expectancy. Xiaohui Sophie Li Assistant Professor of Family and Child Studies in the College of Health and Human Services at Northern Illinois University What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Illinois? They need to consider whether a city is in the state of declining or growing populations. A growing city will offer young families comparably more resources and opportunities than one in decline. Young families should avoid cities in decline. It is often beneficial to live in a city with a diverse employer mix, as those cities are more economically resilient to specific industrial trends. They should also consider the county’s property tax rate and sale’s tax, which impacts the general affordability of an area. They should be open to consider cities which are farther away from metropolitan centers. A less popular community maybe more affordable. Looking just within Illinois, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in? A city’s crime rate is a crucial factor for child development and a family’s quality of life. If a city has a higher crime rate, it will be detrimental to the well-being of the family. Besides, a city in decline will likely have struggles with schools funding. Recreation and park facilities in the city also enhance the families’ quality of life. Lori Klose Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Elmhurst College What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Illinois? Each district in Illinois is required to publish a school report card online which includes information about the school district’s academic achievement, students, educators, and facilities. The report cards have a feature which allows parents to compare up to four schools. Parents should also look at school district websites to get an idea of curriculum and extracurricular programs available in various schools, especially for children with special needs. Young families should also consider extracurricular programs, because participation in arts and athletic programs offer children opportunities for enrichment and college scholarships. They should also try to talk with families who have children attending schools they are interested in. Ask families what they like most and least about their schools. No school district is perfect, but education research suggests that schools which emphasize a partnership with families have higher academic achievement. One cost savings tip is to consider that school district boundaries often cross city boundaries, so young families can save money by being willing to live in less expensive areas of the school district. Housing is also more affordable in districts which are not at the very top of the test rankings, but these schools still offer a great education. Those areas may be a better choice for young families. How can local officials in Illinois make their cities more attractive to young families? Young families want safe neighborhoods, good schools, recreational facilities, and family friendly activities. Local officials should make safety a priority and support local schools. They should develop parks, sports fields, and other recreational spaces and support park district programming. Library programs and family friendly holiday events will also attract young families. Families of all kinds will find easy access to zoos, museums or cultural venues desirable. Looking just within Illinois, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in? Social science research supports that children’s physical, social and academic development is strongly correlated with where they live. Children who live in safe neighborhoods have better health and emotional well-being, than children who live in more dangerous areas. Children who attend high quality schools have higher academic achievement and lower rates of delinquency on average. Many social scientists argue that good neighborhoods offer children and their parents’ opportunities to create social capital which includes things like education, political engagement, and social networks which improve their quality of life and support success. Robert Currie Professor of Psychology at Judson University Looking just within Illinois, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in? The way the child grows up and the family’s quality of life is greatly affected by the city or community they live in. Teachers, coaches, neighbors, ministers, and babysitters all play a big role in the life of the child. These people provide opportunities for the child to learn and they reinforce positive messages the child has already heard from parents. Axton Betz-Hamilton Assistant Professor of Consumer Studies at Eastern Illinois University What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Illinois? The state budget impasse, which has lasted for six months with no foreseeable end in sight, is contributing to the destabilization of the Illinois economy. As such, many Illinois residents are moving out of state for better opportunities, which means there is an abundance of single-family homes on the market, especially in rural Illinois. However, Illinois has the highest property tax rate of all of its neighboring states, so any savings from a lower purchase price on a home may be offset by the amount of property taxes that will have to be paid. With the current uncertainty in the Illinois economy, looking at publicly available K-12 district quality indicators or ‘scorecards’ may give parents an outdated impression of what is going on in a particular district. Observation is important in determining if a school is right for your child — visit the school your child would attend, if you can. Talk with parents of children enrolled at the school to see what they like about the school and what they would like to see changed. Finally, trust your instinct. How can local officials in Illinois make their cities more attractive to young families? I have lived in two rural communities in Illinois, one on the western side of the state, Havana, and one on the eastern side, Charleston. Despite the geographic distance between the communities, one problem that both have faced or currently face is a perception among residents that crime is out of control. When local residents perceive crime to be a problem, they will share their concerns amongst themselves and with others, which could leave potential newcomers with a negative impression of the community. Additionally, experiences of discrimination have been reported in communities around the state, including Charleston. Local officials can take tangible, transparent actions to address residents’ concerns regarding local crime and change community culture to minimize the number of incidents of discrimination. Looking just within Illinois, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in? An individual’s development is influenced by their environment, and the city one lives in is part of that environment. The local economy, the quality of the schools, the availability and quality of local recreation areas, the availability and quality of affordable housing, the perceived openness of the community, and so forth are all elements within a city that can impact a child’s development and family’s quality of life.

Methodology

To determine the most family-friendly Illinois cities, WalletHub compared 222 cities in the state across four key dimensions: 1) Family Life & Fun, 2) Education, Health & Safety, 3) Affordability and 4) Socio-economics.

We evaluated those dimensions using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for families.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

Family Life & Fun – Total Points: 25

• Playgrounds per Capita: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Number of Attractions: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: “Attractions” include, for instance, zoos, museums and theaters.
• Share of Families with Young Children: Double Weight (~8.33 Points)Note: “Young Children” include the population aged 0 to 17.
• Weather: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.
• Average Commute Time: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Education, Health & Safety – Total Points: 25

• Quality of School System: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• High School Graduation Rate: Half Weight (~1.47 Points)
• Air Quality: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Pediatricians per Capita: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Share of Uninsured Children: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)Note: “Children” include the population aged 0 to 17.
• Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
• Property Crimes per 1,000 Residents: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)

Affordability – Total Points: 25

• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Family Income.
• General Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median Annual Family Income / Cost of Living Index.

Socio-economics – Total Points: 25

• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Two-Parent Families: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Families Living Below Poverty Level: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Households Receiving Food Stamps: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Wealth Gap: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Renwood RealtyTrac LLC, SchoolDigger.com, Yelp, County Health Rankings, Areavibes, TripAdvisor and WalletHub research.

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