Highland Park, IL
Census place 1734722 · pop 30,398
Home of the renowned Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,006/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$607,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.65% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
5 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
94/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
40 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
821 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
29.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
49 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
83.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
4.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
4.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$168,094 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
14.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
76.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
11.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
Frequently asked
- Is Highland Park, IL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Highland Park scores 58/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is poor mental health and its weakest is rent. Illinois overall ranks #39 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Highland Park, IL?
- Highland Park reports 49 violent crimes per 100k and 821 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Highland Park, IL expensive to live in?
- Highland Park has a median home value of $607,300 and typical rent around $3,006/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Highland Park, IL?
- Its weakest measured area is rent ($3,006/mo) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Highland Park, IL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is poor mental health (11.3%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the renowned Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.