A recent study by the New Yorker showed that people think of Chicago as being much more dangerous than it actually is. It’s no surprise, then, that most of us want to know whether a suburb is safe when we’re looking for a new home.
Although it’s a comfort to know that Chicago isn’t as criminal as the headlines make it seem, we’ve put together a list of the safest suburbs based on recent figures from niche.com and crimegrade.org. As well as looking at the safest suburbs, we’ve been busy researching the most affordable safe suburbs and the best suburbs for families – between these three articles we hope you’ll find the right corner of Chicagoland for you and your family.
So, let’s take a look at the top 9 Chicago suburbs that you can settle down in with peace of mind.
The 9 Safest Chicago Suburbs
9. Aurora
1 crime every 1.5 hours
Assault: 50% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 67% less than Chicago’s average
The crime data for Aurora may seem slightly high but take those figures with a pinch of salt – Aurora is actually a city and is at least 4x bigger than most of the other suburban areas on this list. In this context, crime in Aurora is reassuringly low.
The suburb is well known for being safe, diverse, fun, and friendly. We did a breakdown of the best schools in the Chicago suburbs and two of them are in Aurora. It also makes number 5 on our list of the best diverse places to live in Chicago.
8. Naperville
1 crime every 3 hours
Assault: 93% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 70% less than Chicago’s average
Despite Naperville being a popular destination, the crime rate here is low (FYI, 1 crime every 3 hours isn’t so bad for a busy suburb). You might expect that there would be more criminal activity surrounding Naperville’s nightlife and busy shopping district, given that Naperville has one of the best downtowns of the Chicago suburbs. Yet, even in the busiest areas, crime rates remain as low as 17.4 per 1,000 people every year, and the rates shrink the further southwest you go.
It’s no secret that we love Naperville and we cover all the reasons why in our Naperville community spotlight. As well as safety, other things to envy in this vibrant Chicago suburb are the incredible school system (number one in Illinois) and the beautiful downtown riverwalk.
7. Hoffman Estates
1 crime every 6 hours
Assault: 86% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 68% less than Chicago’s average
Both violent and non-violent crime rates in Hoffman Estates are a fraction of the national and state averages. Residents say they love living in an area that feels diverse and remains sheltered from crime.
Hoffman Estates is considered to be a large village by some, and a small city by others. The area is affordable, reasonably diverse, and bustling with businesses. As such, it has seen much modernization and development, and we think it’s one of the most underrated suburbs Northwest of Chicago.
6. Wheaton
1 crime every 7 hours
Assault: 90% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 71% less than Chicago’s average
Residents in Wheaton say they feel very safe and confident that they are protected by local police. Although data shows there is a crime in Wheaton every 7 hours, you have to consider this alongside the fact that the suburb has lots of visitors. With over 100 restaurants and a popular downtown, the crime levels are low in context.
Wheaton is a medium-sized suburb in western Chicago known for its large Christian population. People visit from all over the suburbs to see Wheaton’s pretty downtown, complete with red brick roads and tree-lined streets. You can find out everything there is to love about this suburb in our Wheaton community spotlight.
5. Vernon Hills
1 crime every 19 hours
Assault: 86% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 78% less than Chicago’s average
Crime happens only once a day in Vernon Hills, which isn’t bad for a suburb with a population of just over 26, 000. The vast majority of crimes here are non-violent and residents say they feel safe going about their business.
Vernon Hills is one of the best suburbs in Lake County. As well as being safe, it’s affordable, has great schools, and caters to its community with great amenities. We rate it as the 4th on our list of best places to raise a family in the Chicago suburbs.
4. Bannockburn (Deerfield)
1 crime every 35 hours
Assault: 99% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 81% less than Chicago’s average
Bannockburn is one of the few Chicago suburbs to receive an A+ rating for safety by niche.com. It is safer than 95% of other places in America, according to https://crimegrade.org/. With a population of only 1,244, you would need to be extremely unlucky to experience any crime in Bannockburn.
This small, sleepy suburb is a very expensive neighborhood in West Deerfield, northwest of Chicago. Properties here are more than three times greater than the Chicago median home value. Bannockburn is largely residential, which contributes to the very low crime rates – but you are close by to Libertyville and Buffalo Grove, both of which have plenty of nice places to eat and shop. Students in Bannockburn can attend the best schools in the Northwestern Chicago suburbs, making it a great all-rounder for affluent families.
3. Western Springs
1 crime every 45 hours
Assault: 99% less than Chicago average
Property crime: 62% less than Chicago average
With crimes occurring only once every two days in Western Springs, you can feel safe and assured in this small, quiet western suburb of Chicago. While ‘likely’ isn’t quite the right term, the crimes you are most ‘likely’ to come across in the Western Springs are property crime or vehicle theft. There were zero rapes, robberies, or murders reported in the Western Springs in the latest FBI data set.
As well as being safe, the Western Springs is quaint, beautiful, well-schooled, and close to Chicago. We think it’s up there with the very best Chicago suburbs, which is why we have a dedicated feature exploring all the things to love in the Western Springs.
2. Clarendon Hills
1 crime every 75 hours
Assault: 93% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 75% less than Chicago’s average
If you search for ‘Clarendon Hills News’, you’re more likely to find features on local events than crime headlines. During an average year, there are only 11 crimes per 1,000 people, meaning your chances of being caught up in any kind of trouble are significantly low in Clarendon Hills.
This small and affluent suburb wins awards for its standard of living. We personally love it here for the leafy sidewalks, great schools, and forest preserves, which you can read all about in our community spotlight featuring Clarendon Hills.
1. Buffalo Grove
1 crime every 36 hours
Assault: 98% less than the Chicago average
Property crime: 92% less than Chicago’s average
Lots of people think of Chicago as one of America’s dangerous places, yet the suburb of Buffalo Grove ranks as one of the safest places, not only in Illinois but in the entire state of America. Your chances of becoming a victim of violent crime in Buffalo Grove are 1 in 8,642. Crime in Buffalo Grove is vanishingly small despite the suburb being medium-sized.
You might expect a safe suburb like Buffalo Grove to be sleepy and dull, but there are plenty of restaurants and shops, and niche.com ranks it as the third best place to live in Illinois. With great schools and plenty of community events, Buffalo Grove also tops our list of the best suburbs for young families.
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