Northbrook, IL
Census place 1753481 · pop 34,585
Dubbed the "Speedskating Capital of the World," its speed-skating club has sent Olympians to nearly every Winter Games since 1952.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 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 $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,849/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$652,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
54 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 1 days · worse than most cities
11 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 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 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.53% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
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 964/100k · better than most cities
1244 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
24 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
4.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
87.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$157,782 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
15.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
22.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
72.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
4.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
10.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
Frequently asked
- Is Northbrook, IL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Northbrook scores 55/100 — 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 natural disaster risk. 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 Northbrook, IL?
- Northbrook reports 24 violent crimes per 100k and 1244 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Northbrook, IL expensive to live in?
- Northbrook has a median home value of $652,300 and typical rent around $2,849/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Northbrook, IL?
- Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Northbrook, IL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is poor mental health (10.5%) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Dubbed the "Speedskating Capital of the World," its speed-skating club has sent Olympians to nearly every Winter Games since 1952.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.