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Oak Park, IL

Population: 51,989 livability score shield

Key findings

  • Oak Park has a Livability Score of 70/100, which is considered excellent
  • Oak Park crime rates are 69% higher than the Illinois average
  • Cost of living in Oak Park is 31% higher than the Illinois average
  • Oak Park real estate prices are 105% higher than the Illinois average
  • Rental prices in Oak Park are 14% higher than the Illinois average

Best Places to Live in and Around Oak Park

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Compare Oak Park, IL Livability

      vs

      What do the locals think about Oak Park?

      70%Family friendly 85%Public transit is accessible 67%Walkable to grocery stores 59%Yards are well-kept 67%Lots of parks 63%Walkable to restaurants 59%Friendly neighbors 33%Safe at night 74%Pet friendly 85%Streets have sidewalks 44%A quiet area 59%Sense of community
      Based on 27 votes from AreaVibes users. See all Oak Park poll results.

      Oak Park Real estate & Rental prices

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      Oak Park Demographics

      Population51,989 Median Age39.1 Have Kids (under 18)52%
      See more Oak Park demographic data

      Top Rated Schools in Oak Park

      Name Grades Students Proficiency
      Oak Park & River Forest High Sch9 - 123,37063%
      Horace Mann Elementary SchoolKG - 548563%
      William Hatch Elementary SchoolPK - 537252%
      William Beye Elementary SchoolKG - 536952%
      Oliver W Holmes Elementary SchoolKG - 559351%
      Longfellow Elementary SchoolPK - 572151%
      Irving Elementary SchoolKG - 549149%
      Percy Julian Middle School6 - 81,01345%
      See all Oak Park schools

      The best places in Illinois

      Here are the best places to live in IllinoisTop 10 best public schools in Oak ParkThese are the 10 most affordable cities in IllinoisSee the best places to live in & around Oak Park

      Oak Park Reviews

      Write a review about Oak Park Tell people what you like or don't like about Oak Park…
      Hard to tell during a pandemic
      Attractions3/10
      Community8/10
      Nightlife3/10
      Dining9/10
      Shopping6/10
      Neighbors are always kind and say hi when walking passed. Downtown area is quaint and well taken care of. Worth noting that you have to pay a fee (for a license) to have a car in Oak Park and then pay an additional cost for quarterly street parking. Hard to evaluate the area during a pandemic. Take out food has been great. Definitely try the Cozy Corner and Katys Dumplings.
      • TrashPanda (Current resident)
      • Feb 08, 2021
      0 0
      Those who bad mouth Oak Park are all wrong
      Attractions7/10
      Community8/10
      Nightlife7/10
      Dining10/10
      Shopping7/10
      I couldn't believe what some people (2) said about Oak Park. It is a very nice community. Most of the community is very nice, safe, etc. One side of town butts up to the west side of Chicago, and that area is a little rougher. But really, saying one gets killed on the corner, train stop, etc - that'a full of crap. Oak Park is actually one of the top suburbs in the Chicago area. Read reviews from other sites, as the few negative reviews here are not representative of the town. Actually, if you tell other people in Chicago you live in Oak Park, they will think: nice homes, LGBT positive, family positive, diverse, excellent public transportation to down town Chicago as well as easy driving, lots of doctors, lawyers, financial industry, as well as lots of regular people. Most newly married people will not be able to afford a house here. But after they get established and can afford it, this is a wonderful place to raise and educate kids.
      • Anonymous (Current resident)
      • Oct 20, 2020
      1 0
      Expensive and crime ridden.
      Attractions5/10
      Community2/10
      Nightlife2/10
      Dining7/10
      Shopping5/10
      Having lived in Oak Park twice once in 1972-75 and again 2015-16 it has changed. It was always very expensive to live among the wonderful liberal minded people. The last experience in town however was tainted with crimes. My car was broken into twice, I was robbed once. The town is more racially divided and hostile.

      The architecture is wonderful. Access to public transportation is great and proximity to the Loop is fantastic. These are things a tourist can visit without the need to live here.
      • Anonymous (Former resident)
      • May 10, 2019
      3 -6
      Oak Park, IL; A Residential Neighborhood with Many Perks
      Attractions7/10
      Community8/10
      Nightlife6/10
      Dining6/10
      Shopping8/10
      As a girl I relocated many times with my family, mostly oversees, as my father was proficient in a variety of languages, an asset his company chose to mine abundantly. When at last we returned to living full time in the U.S I lived in Dallas, Texas, for a period of months. It was from there that we moved to Oak Park, Illinois, where I was destined to pass most of my Middle School years and all of my High School ones. Oak Park schools are rated as stellar, and deservedly so. I had great teachers, our classes had moderate teacher/student ratios and the offerings, both in terms of required classes and activities were large and varied enough to suit almost any type of student. In fact, my High School even offered an innovative school within a school for students who felt disenfranchised from the usual sort of classroom.

      Besides great schools, Oak Park is renowned for its architecture. Students of Frank LLoyd Wright can find a number of great examples of his work just by walking around. Edgar Rice Burroughs and the creator of the "Twinkie" are also notable as one time Oak Park citizens.

      While there is a small slightly more urban slice that abuts the outskirts of Chicago, Oak Park is largely suburban, that is residential family living. The sense of community is high. There is a great library, a fantastic local paper and many community-sponsored activities. There is a very reputable hospital. Nightlife consists, for the most part, of a great play, a movie, or some fine dining. You may have to travel for dancing till dawn. The shopping is varied with both boutiques and chain stores. Odds are you may have some digging out to do in the winter. Summers, however, are very pleasant.
      • Anonymous
      • Apr 23, 2012
      3 -2
      Source: The Oak Park, IL data and statistics displayed above are derived from the 2016 United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
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