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Place dossier plate
SheetIL-OAK-PARK-IL · Oak Park, IL 53,315 pop · income 82nd 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 Oak Park
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Oak Park on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Galveston · lowest
57,216
Galveston · lowest
57,216 median HH income
44.3% of the leader · rank #1
Haskins · near
108,000
Haskins · near
108,000 median HH income
83.6% of the leader · rank #2
Wauna · near
108,000
Wauna · near
108,000 median HH income
83.6% of the leader · rank #3
Spring Hill · near
108,007
Spring Hill · near
108,007 median HH income
83.6% of the leader · rank #4
Oak Park · this city
108,026
Oak Park · this city
108,026 median HH income
83.6% of the leader · rank #5
Stebbins · near
108,056
Stebbins · near
108,056 median HH income
83.6% of the leader · rank #6
Edina · highest
129,225
Edina · highest
129,225 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 Oak Park 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: 53,315.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Oak Park - the verdict
Oak Park ranks in the 82nd percentile for household income and the 8th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
82nd
percentile, household income
82nd
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
8th
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: Oak Park, IL
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 53,315 residents in Oak Park, a small city within Illinois. Median household income here is $108,026 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.5%. Oak Park's housing stock carries a median value of $456,300, and the median resident age is 40.6 years. Educational attainment runs 72.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 66.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Oak Park (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Oak Park's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3931.3 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Illinois scores 100.0 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,063 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $240 across Illinois, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 23.0 minutes, with 44.5% driving alone and 27.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 54.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Oak Park'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 comparison shortlist to reported crime to work and mobility to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Oak Park, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, local building permits, matched public-school count, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates.
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.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Oak Park?
The NCES join finds 11 public schools within the city match. 72.5% 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.
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.
How far does income reach against housing in Oak Park?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Which cities make useful reference points for Oak Park?
Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Wheaton (53,453 residents, $119,566 income); Normal (52,908 residents, $66,350 income); Tinley Park (55,007 residents, $103,819 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Galveston, TX (53,348 residents); Aloha, OR (53,362 residents); Minnetonka, MN (53,256 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.
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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Oak Park?
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.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3931.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 72% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
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.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Oak Park?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 44.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 23.0 minutes.
Public transit
16.2%
Work from home
27.7%
Drive alone
44.5%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 27,528 workers age 16+.
Is Oak Park growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -1,763 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-3.2%
2025 estimate
52,823
2020 estimate
54,586
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
C+
City profile score · Oak Park, IL
64/100
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.
Bachelor's+ share A+
72.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income A-
$108,026
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B+
3.5%
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.
Violent crime F
324 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Oak Park profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 99/100 (A+) · 72.5%
Household income: 80/100 (A-) · $108,026
Poverty rate: 75/100 (B+) · 3.5%
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Violent crime: 30/100 (F) · 324 /100k
Where Oak Park sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Oak Park'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 - Oak Park highlighted among 12 peers.Read the chart values
Oak Park, IL (this city): home $456,300, crime 3,931/100k
Galveston, TX : home $294,300, crime 2,917/100k
Minnetonka, MN : home $456,200, crime 1,754/100k
Twin Falls, ID : home $279,400, crime 1,543/100k
Pinellas Park, FL : home $251,900, crime 2,440/100k
Edina, MN : home $624,000, crime 1,563/100k
Wheaton, IL : home $447,700, crime 591/100k
Normal, IL : home $199,900, crime 1,879/100k
Tinley Park, IL : home $289,000, crime 1,354/100k
Hoffman Estates, IL : home $340,400, crime 1,142/100k
Mount Prospect, IL : home $377,000, crime 977/100k
Berwyn, IL : home $286,000, crime 1,252/100k
How does Oak Park compare to other US cities?
Here's how Oak Park stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income82% higher than other cities
Home value82% pricier than other cities
Median rent18% pricier than other cities
Safety8% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Illinois and the picture shifts: Oak Park ranks #440 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Oak Park 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 Oak Park near the bottom of Illinois's cities
Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Oak Park ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Oak Park only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#163 of 1,311
88th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#51 of 1,315
96th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#977 of 1,335
26th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#27 of 1,336
98th 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
82nd percentile nationally for median household income · 8th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Oak Park's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Oak Park'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 Oak Park's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$456,30018th percentilemore affordable than 18% 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
Oak Park's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#11,300 of 15,516
More affordable than 27% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#343 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 4.2×, Oak Park sits in the moderate band:
national rank #11,300 of 15,516 and #343 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
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
$108,026Oak Park, IL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Oak Park, 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 Oak Park, IL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)72.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)66.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
53,315
Median Income
$108,026
Median Home Value
$456,300
Median Age
40.6
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Labor force participation
66.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
72.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3931.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
323.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3607.8
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
11
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Oak Park's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
54,586 residents
2021
53,542 residents
2022
52,805 residents
2023
52,706 residents
2024
52,979 residents
2025
52,823 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
65
18
47
$16.2M
2020
1
1
0
$0.5M
2021
43
1
42
$12.9M
2022
46
2
44
$12.7M
2023
1
1
0
$0.1M
2024
0
0
0
-
Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
23.0 minutes
Drive Alone
44.5%
Carpool
4.9%
Public Transit
16.2%
Walk
4.7%
Work from Home
27.7%
Other
2.0%
Based on 27,528 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 Oak Park. 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 Oak Park 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 Oak Park sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Oak Park 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.