Oak Park, Illinois is a moderately-sized city with a population of 51,989 inhabitants. Oak Park has a population density of 11,062 people per square mile. This would be considered well above the national population density level. At 67%, the majority of the Oak Park population is White; this is followed by 21% Black and 5% Asian. If finding a family friendly city is important to you, look no further. With more than 78% of the population considered married and 49% with kids under the age of 18, Oak Park could be considered a very suitable city for families.
Are you trying to decide if living in Oak Park is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a good experience before moving to any new city in Illinois, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. To help you find the best places to live in and around Oak Park, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, crime, cost of living, weather, employment and more.
Oak Park, IL receives 73/100 for its livability score; this results in a ranking of #161 in Illinois and #7,341 in the USA. If we probe a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Oak Park has higher than average grades for the following: amenities (A+), crime (B-), education (B+) and employment (B). On a less positive note, Oak Park does not have favorable ranks for the following: cost of living (F), weather (D) and housing (D). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.
Conveniently located amenities and interesting attractions are a great way to continuously enjoy Oak Park on a regular basis. Knowing that there are an abundance of amenities and things to do can ensure that you always have access to nearby grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops. Some of the notable things to do include: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, and Oak Park Visitors Center.
Oak Park real estate prices and overall affordability will play a huge role in determining if the area is the right fit for you. Of course there are probably some other items on your “wish list”, but even before they are considered, let’s take a look at the home prices and affordability in Oak Park. Median real estate prices in Oak Park come in at $359,100, which is 105.4% higher than the Illinois average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Oak Park, the home price to income ratio is 4.3, which is 43.3% higher than the Illinois average. Year over year appreciation rates for homes in the Oak Park area were 2.9% and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 4.4%. Why is this important? Knowing the appreciation rates for any area is a quick and easy way to determine if you will see a solid return on your investment.
| Statistic | Oak Park | Illinois | National |
| Average one way commute | 34min | 29min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 56.0% | 73.4% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 5.9% | 8.3% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 24.7% | 9.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 1.5% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 3.4% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 7.6% | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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