The friendly demeanor of Downers Grove folks, combined with top-notch education and low crime rate make it the 8th best Illinois city to call “home,” according to real estate company Movoto.
Downers Grove residents, pat yourselves on the back. You chose one of the top 10 Illinois cities to make your home.
Downers Grove landed at number 8 of 10 on real estate blog Movoto’s list, based on residents’ friendly attitudes, high school graduation rate and low crime rate (among other factors).
The list is based on a few key criteria, including:
- Amenities (shopping, dining, entertainment, etc.)
- Cost of living (percent above or below state average)
- Crime (percent above or below state average)
- Education (high school graduation rate compared to state average)
- Employment (income and unemployment compared to state average)
- Home value (percent above or below state average)
Downers Grove boasts a high school graduation rate 12 percent higher than the rest of the state. Its crime rate is lower than most of the state, and annual household income of over $78,000 ranks 35 percent higher than the average in the area.
“Talk about a misnomer—Downers Grove is anything but a downer,” writes Movoto blogger Natalie Grigson.
Downers Grove joins the likes of the Village of Arlington Heights at No. 7, and Village of Palatine at No. 9. The Village of Northbrook snagged the No. 1 spot on the list.
In 2012, Forbes Magazine teamed up with Nextdoor.com, a San Francisco-based social network for neighborhoods, to assess 500 small metro areas with populations between 5,500 and 150,000. Their findings, published Thursday on Forbes.com, ranked America’s friendliest towns based on four data points: percentage of owner- occupied homes, crime rate, charitable giving and and the percentage of college graduates.
Downers Grove ranked No. 8, joining communities like Seal Beach, CA; Huntington Woods, MI; and Hamilton, NY.
Downers Grove also holds a spot as one of CNN’s best places to retire, for its abundance of parks, nature, and hospitals.
