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Place dossier plate
SheetIL-RIVER-FOREST-IL · River Forest, IL 11,489 pop · income 94th 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 River Forest
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest River Forest on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
New Port Rich… · lowest
44,676
New Port Rich… · lowest
44,676 median HH income
30.0% of the leader · rank #1
Blue Point · near
148,684
Blue Point · near
148,684 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #2
River Forest · this city
148,711
River Forest · this city
148,711 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #3
Wollochet · near
148,716
Wollochet · near
148,716 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Jamul · near
148,740
Jamul · near
148,740 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
DISH · highest
148,750
DISH · highest
148,750 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
Wellsboro · near
148,750
Wellsboro · near
148,750 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 River Forest 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: 11,489.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
River Forest - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, River Forest lands in the 94th percentile for household income and the 21st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
94th
percentile, household income
92nd
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
21st
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: River Forest, IL
11,489 people live in River Forest, Illinois - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in River Forest brings in $148,711 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.6%. Home values in River Forest run a median of $676,900, and the median resident age is 40.1 years. About 73.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 67% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2563.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, near 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: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Illinois scores 100.0 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,063 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for River Forest workers runs 23.9 minutes, with 46.5% driving alone and 23.8% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 54.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of River Forest'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 comparison shortlist to housing and income to work and mobility to schools and households 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 River Forest, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, commute-mode shares, 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
Which cities make useful reference points for River Forest?
Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Pontiac (11,483 residents, $59,579 income); Schiller Park (11,454 residents, $67,473 income); Markham (11,434 residents, $52,364 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Four Corners, TX (11,490 residents); Woods Cross, UT (11,490 residents); Mexico, MO (11,487 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.
How far does income reach against housing in River Forest?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 0.6%, 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.
What does the journey to work look like in River Forest?
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 46.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 23.9 minutes.
What does the education layer cover for River Forest?
The NCES join finds 3 public schools within the city match. 73.4% 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.
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 River Forest 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 -827 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -6.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1 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
-6.8%
2025 estimate
11,393
2020 estimate
12,220
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in River Forest?
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 2563.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 12% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
2472.9
Violent rate
90.3
Total reported rate
2563.2
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Top-decile income · poverty 0.6% (Very low poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.0 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
A-
City profile score · River Forest, IL
81/100
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+
73.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income A+
$148,711
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate A+
0.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime B
90 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger 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.
River Forest profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 99/100 (A+) · 73.4%
Household income: 96/100 (A+) · $148,711
Poverty rate: 96/100 (A+) · 0.6%
Violent crime: 73/100 (B) · 90 /100k
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Where River Forest sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
River Forest'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 - River Forest highlighted among 27 peers.Read the chart values
River Forest, IL (this city): home $676,900, crime 2,563/100k
Woods Cross, UT : home $472,600, crime 1,481/100k
Oskaloosa, IA : home $128,900, crime 1,042/100k
Pontiac, IL : home $110,200, crime 1,597/100k
Plano, IL : home $221,100, crime 641/100k
Palos Heights, IL : home $350,000, crime 925/100k
Taylorville, IL : home $106,300, crime 1,396/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does River Forest compare to other US cities?
Where River Forest sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income94% higher than other cities
Home value92% pricier than other cities
Median rent18% pricier than other cities
Safety21% 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: River Forest ranks #398 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 River Forest 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 River Forest near the bottom of Illinois's cities
Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, River Forest ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares River Forest only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#50 of 1,311
96th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#22 of 1,315
98th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#1,228 of 1,335
8th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#23 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
94th percentile nationally for median household income · 21st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
River Forest's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
River Forest'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 River Forest's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$676,9008th percentilemore affordable than 8% 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
River Forest's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,084 of 15,516
More affordable than 22% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,382 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 4.6×, River Forest sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,084 of 15,516 and #2,382 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
$148,711River Forest, IL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context River Forest, 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 River Forest, IL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)73.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)0.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
11,489
Median Income
$148,711
Median Home Value
$676,900
Median Age
40.1
Poverty Rate
0.6%
Labor force participation
57.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
73.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2563.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
90.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2472.9
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
3
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
River Forest's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
12,220 residents
2021
11,785 residents
2022
11,357 residents
2023
11,229 residents
2024
11,421 residents
2025
11,393 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
3
3
0
$2.4M
2020
8
8
0
$5.6M
2021
5
5
0
$3.5M
2022
4
4
0
$3.7M
2023
2
2
0
$1.1M
2024
1
1
0
$0.6M
Permit volume decreased 67% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
23.9 minutes
Drive Alone
46.5%
Carpool
3.6%
Public Transit
17.8%
Walk
6.3%
Work from Home
23.8%
Other
2.0%
Based on 5,098 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 River Forest. 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 River Forest 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 River Forest sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How River Forest 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.