Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 20/100
F
Median home value$159,600
Chicago $323,000
Median rent$1,426/mo
Chicago $1,430/mo
Cost-burdened households45%
Chicago 33%
North Chicago
Lake County30,643 residentsNorth Chicago SD 187
48
D+
Suburbgrade score
55th of 60 Chicago suburbs. Strongest on commute & transport, held back by housing & affordability.
48
Chicago median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for North Chicago yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 48 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What North Chicago is like to live in, by category
Bars show North Chicago against Chicago. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 39/100
D−
Within-state proficiency10th pct
Chicago median 63rd pct
Student–teacher ratio13.6
Chicago median 13.7
Graduation rate—
Chicago median 91%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 59/100
C
Housing cost index92
Chicago 100
Eff. tax rate1.85%
Chicago 1.83%
Local sales tax8.96%
Chicago median 8.96%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 93/100
A+
Mean commute16.8 min
Chicago 30.3 min
Under 30 minutes82%
Chicago 51%
Transit stops / sq mi6.2
Chicago median 3.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 52/100
D+
Restaurants & cafés26
Chicago median 50 · within 2 miles
Groceries1
Chicago median 6 · within 2 miles
Parks40
Chicago median 65 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 32/100
F
Median household income$60,172
Chicago $90,887
Unemployment9.9%
Chicago 6.1%
Professional occupations32%
Chicago 45%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
—
No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for North Chicago yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
—
Do you feel safe walking after dark?
—
Can you walk to a grocery store?
—
Is it good for young children?
—
Are yards and streets well kept?
—
Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than North Chicago on housing & affordability
North Chicago's weakest grade is F. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Northbrook13 mi from North ChicagoA− 74 B Glenview16 mi from North ChicagoB 72 B− Highland Park10 mi from North ChicagoB 71 B− Park Ridge21 mi from North ChicagoB− 69 B− Buffalo Grove12 mi from North ChicagoB− 69 B− Arlington Heights16 mi from North ChicagoC+ 66 C+ Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in North Chicago
Is North Chicago, IL a good place to live?
North Chicago scores 48 out of 100, 55th of 60 Chicago suburbs. It is strongest on commute & transport and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is North Chicago expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades C. The median home is $159,600, 51% below the Chicago median, and the effective property tax rate is 1.85%. $1,426/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in North Chicago?
Schools grade D−. The districts serving North Chicago sit at the 10th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a — graduation rate and a 13.6 student–teacher ratio. North Chicago is served by North Chicago SD 187. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from North Chicago?
The mean commute is 16.8 min, with 82% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 25% working from home. Transit density is 6.2 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in North Chicago?
Within two miles there are 1 groceries, 26 restaurants and cafés and 40 parks, which grades D+ on amenities.
Are the homes in North Chicago old or new?
The median home in North Chicago was built in 1973 — close to the Chicago median of 1971. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 51% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.