Living in North Chicago, IL
Suburb in Illinois
North Chicago is a suburb in Illinois, home to about 31,000 people, with 2.9 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is North Chicago a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 15 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 79°F
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $227k and rents for $2,290 a month
- Low natural disaster risk: 4 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Weaker public schools: test results well below the US average
- Cloudier than most places
- Higher taxes: about $2,002 state income tax per resident, 2.54% property tax
- Fewer graduates: 19% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how North Chicago ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in North Chicago: common questions
What is the cost of living in North Chicago?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $227k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,290 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in North Chicago?
Illinois collects about $2,002 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.54% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is North Chicago safe?
North Chicago isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
How are the schools in North Chicago?
Public schools in North Chicago test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 16 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in North Chicago?
North Chicago has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 33°F and summer days around 79°F, with roughly 43″ of snow a year.
Does North Chicago get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from cold waves, tornadoes and flooding: 4 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.86 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to North Chicago?
The nearest major airport is ORD, about 24 mi away.
How North Chicago scores
Each bar compares North Chicago with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like North Chicago
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Illinois.
Is North Chicago right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.