Best Cities for Families in Illinois

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Illinois

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Illinois

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 86.9
Red Bud, IL
3,789 residents
Schools 6.9
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $170,300
#2
Score 85.5
Itasca, IL
9,525 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 22/100K
Home Affordability $375,600
#3
Score 84.9
Millstadt, IL
4,013 residents
Schools 6.9
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $205,400
#4
Score 84.7
Wheaton, IL
53,453 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 49/100K
Home Affordability $447,700
#5
Score 84.3
Bartlett, IL
40,531 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 30/100K
Home Affordability $350,500
#6
Score 84.1
Lisle, IL
23,413 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 43/100K
Home Affordability $407,000
#7
Score 84.1
Winfield, IL
9,982 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 59/100K
Home Affordability $363,400
#8
Score 83.7
Valmeyer, IL
1,109 residents
Schools 6.9
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $208,600
#9
Score 83.5
Warrenville, IL
14,232 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 26/100K
Home Affordability $266,500
#10
Score 82.9
Naperville, IL
149,424 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 86/100K
Home Affordability $509,900
#11
Score 82.8
Downers Grove, IL
49,867 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 115/100K
Home Affordability $439,000
#12
Score 82.8
Lombard, IL
43,722 residents
Schools 6.7
Safety 117/100K
Home Affordability $321,200

Full Ranking, Illinois

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Red Bud IL 86.9
2 Itasca IL 85.5
3 Millstadt IL 84.9
4 Wheaton IL 84.7
5 Bartlett IL 84.3
6 Lisle IL 84.1
7 Winfield IL 84.1
8 Valmeyer IL 83.7
9 Warrenville IL 83.5
10 Naperville IL 82.9
11 Downers Grove IL 82.8
12 Lombard IL 82.8
13 Glen Ellyn IL 82.5
14 Carol Stream IL 82.4
15 Bloomingdale IL 82.3
16 Woodridge IL 82.2
17 Breese IL 81.2
18 Roselle IL 81
19 Glendale Heights IL 80.9
20 Hudson IL 80.9
21 Aviston IL 80.8
22 Trenton IL 80.6
23 Lockport IL 80.5
24 Tremont IL 80.2
25 Deerfield IL 80
26 Buffalo Grove IL 80
27 Monticello IL 79.7
28 Lakewood IL 79.7
29 Libertyville IL 79.7
30 Vernon Hills IL 79.6
31 Bolingbrook IL 79.6
32 Lake Zurich IL 79.5
33 Lincolnshire IL 79.5
34 Grayslake IL 79.4
35 Carlyle IL 79.4
36 Le Roy IL 79.4
37 Gilberts IL 79.2
38 Romeoville IL 79
39 Pingree Grove IL 79
40 Highland Park IL 79
41 Morton IL 78.9
42 Cary IL 78.9
43 Kildeer IL 78.9
44 Addison IL 78.8
45 Schaumburg IL 78.7
46 Hanover Park IL 78.7
47 Aurora IL 78.5
48 Inverness IL 78.5
49 Mundelein IL 78.4
50 Northbrook IL 78.3

Red Bud, IL tops the list with a composite score of 86.9 out of 100, followed by Itasca and Millstadt. IL dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →