City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Palos Heights, IL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Palos Heights - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

11,817
Residents
$107,974
Median income
$350,000
Median home
$1,781
Median rent (state)

Palos Heights - the verdict

Nationally, Palos Heights sits in the 82nd percentile for household income and the 67th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

82nd
percentile, household income
72nd
percentile, home value
72nd
percentile, median rent
67th
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: Palos Heights, IL

Illinois's Palos Heights is a small town, with 11,817 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Palos Heights brings in $107,974 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.0%. Palos Heights's housing stock carries a median value of $350,000, and the median resident age is 51.2 years. 43.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 51.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 6 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Low Activity). Palos Heights reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 924.9 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures 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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,781 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $240 across Illinois, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 100.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

11,817 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Illinois

Median Household Income

$107,974 /yr

Poverty 3.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

How does Palos Heights compare to other US cities?

Palos Heights measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 82% higher than other cities
Home value 72% pricier than other cities
Median rent 72% pricier than other cities
Safety 67% 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: Palos Heights ranks #224 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 Palos Heights against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Illinois only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Illinois-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Palos Heights's strongest outlier among Illinois cities

Among the 1,315 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Palos Heights ranks #98 - the 92nd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Palos Heights only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#164 of 1,311
87th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#17 of 1,336
77th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#98 of 1,315
92nd percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#1,022 of 1,335
23rd percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#159 of 1,336
88th percentile in Illinois

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.

82ndIncome percentile
67thSafety percentile

82nd percentile nationally for median household income · 67th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Palos Heights's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Palos Heights'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 59 Avg. percentile National median
Palos Heights'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 Palos Heights's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$350,000 28th percentile more affordable than 28% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Palos Heights $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Palos Heights, IL Palos Heights, IL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Palos Heights, IL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Palos Heights, IL median $107,974/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Palos Heights, IL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Palos Heights, IL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 43.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
11,817
Median Income
$107,974
Median Home Value
$350,000
Median Age
51.2
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Labor force participation
51.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
43.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
924.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
61.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
863.2
per 100,000 residents

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
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
11,800 residents12,000 residents12,200 residents12,400 residents12,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 12,421 residents 12,084 residents ▼ -2.7%
Palos Heights's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 1
2022 0
2023 1
2024 6

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
75.1%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
3.5%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
12.6%

Based on 5,025 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Illinois - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$240
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Illinois state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Illinois state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Palos Heights sits in

Cost of Living Index
100.0
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,781/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
100.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Illinois

Plano
11,626 people
Centralia
12,009 people
River Forest
11,489 people
Pontiac
11,483 people
Schiller Park
11,454 people
Markham
11,434 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Palos Heights's 11,817 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Endwell, NY
11,821 people
Westview, FL
11,823 people
South Lyon, MI
11,825 people
Wallington, NJ
11,825 people
Middle Valley, TN
11,808 people
Richfield, WI
11,806 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Palos Heights's $107,974 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Summit, WA
$107,977 median income
Frenchtown, NJ
$107,969 median income
Flower Hill, MD
$107,987 median income
Thorndale, PA
$107,995 median income
Haskins, OH
$108,000 median income
Wauna, WA
$108,000 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Palos Heights, IL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Palos Heights, IL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 89.3% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.0% White 89.3% Black or African American 2.6% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.3% Two or more races 6.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Palos Heights compares to nearby Illinois cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Palos Heights (this city) 11,817 $107,974
Plano 11,626 $83,102
Centralia 12,009 $47,308
River Forest 11,489 $148,711
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Palos Heights, IL?

What is the population of Palos Heights, IL? +

The population of Palos Heights, IL stands at 11,817 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Palos Heights, IL? +

Median annual household income in Palos Heights runs $107,974, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Palos Heights? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Palos Heights; the closest available measure is the Illinois state average, a cost of living index of 100.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Illinois vary by metro area.

Is Palos Heights, IL safe? +

Palos Heights has a total crime rate of 924.9 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Palos Heights, IL? +

The median home value in Palos Heights is $350,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.