Hillside 72 Excellent
Hillside Livability #291 ranked city in Illinois#5,732 ranked city in the USARanks better than 80% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Hillside

PROS
  • Commute Commute

    A high commute score suggests convenient, easy access to public transportation, with shorter-than-average work commute times to work.

  • Housing Housing

    High scores in the housing category are attributed to this area, possibly pointing to a favorable home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    A large portion of amenities are not ideally situated within walking distance, potentially requiring residents to utilize a vehicle or public transportation.

  • Schools Schools

    The lower than average schools score may be influenced by below-average education levels, subpar reading and math scores and the lack of access to local elementary and high schools.

What's it like Living in Hillside?

Hillside, Illinois is a small-sized city with a population of 8,131 inhabitants. Hillside is known to be an ethnically diverse city. The two most common races are White (33%) and Black or African American (44%). Additionally, more than a quarter of the population of Hillside are of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 30% of the population also speak Spanish. All the single ladies and all the single fellas might want to take notice as only 46% of the Hillside population is married. Long, unnecessary commutes can be both frustrating and inconvenient when heading to work. Nationwide, the average one-way commute time takes 26 minutes, but regrettably, residing in Hillside entails a longer-than-average one-way commute time, averaging 31 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Hillside could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Illinois if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Hillside, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like crime, cost of living, health & safety, employment and more.

Hillside has a livability score of 72/100 and is ranked #279 in Illinois and #5,484 in the USA. If we dig a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Hillside has higher than average grades for the following: cost of living (C+), employment (B-) and housing (A+). Hillside does not score well for the following: amenities (F) and education (F). It might be wise to take a closer look at each category to find out why.

A robust real estate market serves as a crucial economic indicator, reflecting the local area's strength, stability and the confidence of its residents. Hillside excels in the housing sector, scoring high marks based on factors such as median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability. These calculations suggest that the apartment rental and real estate market in the region is exceptionally healthy, highlighting the area's economic vitality and attractiveness to potential homebuyers and renters.

Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Hillside. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Hillside are affordable. The median home price for Hillside homes is $344,632, which is 11.7% higher than the Illinois average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Hillside, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 4.1, which is 17.1% higher than the Illinois average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Hillside

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Compare Hillside, IL Livability

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      Hillside transportation information

      Statistic Hillside Illinois National
      Average one way commute31min29min26min
      Workers who drive to work81.8%73.4%76.4%
      Workers who carpool4.1%8.3%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit3.3%9.2%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.0%0.6%0.6%
      Workers who walk2.4%3.1%2.8%
      Working from home7.0%4.4%4.6%
      Source: The Hillside, IL data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.