23 of the Best Illinois Towns to Raise a Family

Illinoisans looking for a place to settle down and raise a family can turn to the plethora of living options Illinois has to offer. Our state has many towns and cities for families interested in finding the best environments for their children. Niche recently reviewed 4,264 towns to determine which are the best-suited for families when taking nine main factors into consideration:

1. Crime & Safety: Niche's Crime & Safety Grade, which incorporates statistics that capture a location's general safety.
2. Education: Niche's Education Grade, which incorporates the average Niche K-12 overall grade for every public school serving the area, where each school is weighted by the number of students it serves.
3. Access to Libraries: A measure of both the proximity (per square mile) and the availability (per capita) of libraries.
4. Community: Niche's Community Grade, which incorporates statistics that capture an area's involvement and investment in the community.
5. Housing: Niche's Housing Grade, which incorporates statistics that capture how good an area is to purchase a home.
6. Residents 35-44 Years Old: Percentage of residents between the ages of 35 and 44.
7. Residents 9 Years Old and Under: Percentage of residents between the ages of 0 and 9.
8. Access to Day Cares: A measure of both the proximity (per square mile) and the availability (per capita) of day care services.
9. Access to Grocery Stores: A measure of both the proximity (per square mile) and the availability (per capita) of grocery stores.

37. Canton (central Illinois)

Population: 14,646

36. Du Quoin (southern Illinois)

Population: 6,063

35. Rantoul (eastern Illinois)

Population: 12,958

34. Ottawa (north central Illinois)

Population: 19,116

33. Charleston (eastern Illinois)

Population: 22,048

32. Harvard (northern Illinois)

Population: 9,023

31. Jerseyville (southwest Illinois)

Population: 8,553

30. Macomb (western Illinois)

Population: 19,267

29. Morris (northeast Illinois)

Population: 14,019

28. Wilmington (northeast Illinois)

Population: 6,028

27. Fairfield (southeast Illinois)

Population: 5,372

26. Peru (north central Illinois)

Population: 10,188

25. Sterling (northwest Illinois)

Population: 15,314

24. Greenville (southwest Illinois)

Population: 6,881

23. Flora (southeast Illinois)

Population: 5,077

22. Marion (southern Illinois)

Population: 17,282

21. Pinckneyville (southwest Illinois)

Population: 5,622

20. Chester (southwest Illinois)

Population: 8,521

19. Bloomington (central Illinois)

Population: 77,293

18. Braidwood (northeast Illinois)

Population: 6,033

17. LaSalle (north central Illinois)

Population: 9,551

16. Hampshire (northern Illinois)

Population: 6,108

15. Mendota (north central Illinois)

Population: 7,314

Images courtesy of Niche.com.

To see the top 14 best Illinois counties to raise a family, including Skokie and Arlington Heights, check out Reboot Illinois.

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