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Place dossier plate
SheetIL-DARIEN-IL · Darien, IL 21,855 pop · income 83rd pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Darien
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Darien on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Carbondale · lowest
29,670
Carbondale · lowest
29,670 median HH income
21.7% of the leader · rank #1
Finderne · near
109,348
Finderne · near
109,348 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #2
North Beach H… · near
109,353
North Beach H… · near
109,353 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #3
Darien · this city
109,354
Darien · this city
109,354 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #4
Pebble Creek · near
109,375
Pebble Creek · near
109,375 median HH income
80.1% of the leader · rank #5
Lake Bosworth · near
109,375
Lake Bosworth · near
109,375 median HH income
80.1% of the leader · rank #6
Geneva · highest
136,621
Geneva · highest
136,621 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Darien on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 21,855.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Darien - the verdict
Darien ranks in the 83rd percentile for household income and the 66th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
83rd
percentile, household income
76th
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
66th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Darien, IL
Illinois's Darien is a small city, with 21,855 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $109,354 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.9%. Typical homes in Darien are valued around $386,400, and the median resident age is 44.8 years. About 51.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 68 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1600% from five years earlier. Darien reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 958.4 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Illinois at 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,063 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 23.9 minutes, with 70.4% driving alone and 19.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Darien's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to housing and income to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to population change to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Darien, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Darien?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 7 public schools within the city match. 51.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
How far does income reach against housing in Darien?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What does the journey to work look like in Darien?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 70.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 23.9 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Which cities make useful reference points for Darien?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Carbondale (21,813 residents, $29,670 income); Yorkville (22,350 residents, $108,775 income); Bloomingdale (22,388 residents, $98,891 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Kailua CDP (Hawaii County), HI (21,851 residents); Lino Lakes, MN (21,847 residents); Shelby, NC (21,868 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Darien growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +33 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 68 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
2020 estimate
21,999
2025 estimate
22,032
Period change
+0.2%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Darien?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 958.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 58% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
958.4
Violent rate
41.7
Property rate
916.7
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
B
City profile score · Darien, IL
74/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Violent crime A
42 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share A
51.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income A-
$109,354
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B+
2.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living D
100.0 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Darien profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 86/100 (A) · 42 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 85/100 (A) · 51.7%
Household income: 81/100 (A-) · $109,354
Poverty rate: 79/100 (B+) · 2.9%
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Where Darien sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Darien's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Darien highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Darien, IL (this city): home $386,400, crime 958/100k
Lino Lakes, MN : home $385,000, crime 697/100k
Shelby, NC : home $185,400, crime 3,477/100k
Sedalia, MO : home $136,500, crime 3,180/100k
Klamath Falls, OR : home $257,400, crime 3,172/100k
Carbondale, IL : home $124,800, crime 4,690/100k
Yorkville, IL : home $314,200, crime 462/100k
Bloomingdale, IL : home $363,100, crime 1,459/100k
Geneva, IL : home $415,800, crime 584/100k
Villa Park, IL : home $313,100, crime 1,748/100k
East Peoria, IL : home $160,800, crime 2,629/100k
How does Darien compare to other US cities?
Here's how Darien stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income83% higher than other cities
Home value76% pricier than other cities
Median rent18% pricier than other cities
Safety66% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Illinois alone, Darien ranks #232 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Darien against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Illinois only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Illinois-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Darien near the bottom of Illinois's cities
Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Darien ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Darien only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#153 of 1,311
88th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#70 of 1,315
95th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#1,029 of 1,335
22nd percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#102 of 1,336
92nd percentile in Illinois
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Illinois only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
83rd percentile nationally for median household income · 66th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Darien's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Darien's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Darien's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$386,40024th percentilemore affordable than 24% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Darien's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,109 of 15,516
More affordable than 41% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,529 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.5×, Darien sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,109 of 15,516 and #1,529 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$109,354Darien, IL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Darien, IL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Darien, IL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)51.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
21,855
Median Income
$109,354
Median Home Value
$386,400
Median Age
44.8
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Labor force participation
63.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
51.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
958.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
41.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
916.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Darien's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
21,999 residents
2021
21,806 residents
2022
21,638 residents
2023
21,820 residents
2024
21,917 residents
2025
22,032 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
68
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
68
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
4
4
0
$1.1M
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
72
4
68
$17.9M
2023
4
4
0
$1.8M
2024
68
0
68
$15.8M
Permit volume increased 1600% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
23.9 minutes
Drive Alone
70.4%
Carpool
6.1%
Public Transit
2.6%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
19.0%
Other
1.2%
Based on 11,441 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Illinois statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $240
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Illinois at $240 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $50 ).
These are Illinois statewide averages, not a meter reading for Darien. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Illinois's BEA cost-of-living index is 100.0 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Darien is $1,063/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Illinois statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Illinois statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Darien sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Darien compares to similar-size Illinois cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.