Palos Heights, IL

Census place 1757381 · pop 12,152

D55/ 100
😐 Meh
C
in IL
📍 Illinois ranks #39 of 50 states →
🏆 Own93.4% · top 2%
🚽 Disaster100/100 · bottom 8%
Taxes
2.08% property · US 0.99%8.96% sales · US 7.00%4.95% flat income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1008

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.

Property-tax burden2.08%9

U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities

2.08% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Air quality (AQI)County-level54 AQI14

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.

Population growth (5yr)-2.6%15

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-2.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Commute time30 min17

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

30 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level11 days19

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.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.5%21

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.

Housing cost$367,10035

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$367,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Income inequality0.4262

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Property crime rate872/100k68

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

872 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Broadband access94.1%71

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

94.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Bachelor's degree or higher43.6%74

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

43.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Physical inactivity19.5%80

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

19.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Median household income$108,74081

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$108,740 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Violent crime rate62/100k82

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

62 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Adult smoking9.3%85

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

9.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Poverty rate5.2%85

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

5.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Uninsured adults5.9%86

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

5.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult obesity26.8%87

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

26.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Poor mental health12.8%94

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

12.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Homeownership93.4%98

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

93.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Not measured for Palos Heights: Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Palos Heights, IL a good place to live?
By the numbers, Palos Heights scores 55/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 21 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is homeownership 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 Palos Heights, IL?
Palos Heights reports 62 violent crimes per 100k and 872 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Palos Heights, IL expensive to live in?
Palos Heights has a median home value of $367,100 — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Palos Heights, 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 Palos Heights, IL best at?
Its strongest measured area is homeownership (93.4%) — 98/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.