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Evanston

#9 in Best Places to Live in Illinois
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • Town in Illinois
  • 145 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A+
  2. Crime & Safety
    B-
  3. Housing
    B-
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    A+
  6. Diversity
    A+
  7. Jobs
    B
  8. Weather
    C+
  9. Cost of Living
    C
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A
  12. Commute
    A
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Evanston is a town in Illinois with a population of 75,472. Evanston is in Cook County and is one of the best places to live in Illinois. Living in Evanston offers residents an urban feel and most residents own their homes. In Evanston there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Evanston and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Evanston are highly rated.
About Evanston...
Population
75,472

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$356,600
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,246
National
$949
Area Feel
Urban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    45%
  • Own
    55%
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Evanston Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B-
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    111
    283
  • Murder
    3
    6
  • Rape
    0
    41
  • Robbery
    50
    136
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    435
    500
  • Theft
    1,676
    2,043
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    96
    284
Home Security Options for Evanston
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A+
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$71,317
National
$55,322
Children
17%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    37%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    29%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    16%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    12%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    6%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges
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Evanston Reviews

145 reviews
All Categories
Evanston is a welcoming and diverse neighborhood with excellent public education, strong small businesses, lots of community services, and great walkability! I would like to see more bike lanes, a UBI for the lowest income residents, and more opportunities for public discourse. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this city as a wonderful place to raise a family and a good place for folks who want a quieter vibe than the city but easy access to downtown (the purple line is great!)
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I love Evanston! While being a college town, it’s still fairly quiet and family oriented. Since it’s very close to Chicago, Evanston gets the best of public transport from the city and the suburbs! The beaches are beautiful, the downtown is fantastic, not too busy, but still has everything you can need. Good schools and friendly neighbors! Highly recommend Evanston!
I’ve lived in Evanston for 30 yrs. Despite building all the high rise condos that should have increased our tax base we have seen our property taxes go from somewhat manageable to the completely ridiculous $$$$. We are talking $3500 to $10,000 a year for a 960 sf bungalow in 23 years. They claim to be very diverse and open but only for all things liberal. If you are conservative they will vandalize yard signs and damage your vehicle if you display a conservative candidate for any election. To me that is not open mindedness. Most Evanstonians are not that friendly in passing. Everyday I say hello to those in passing just to be polite and acknowledging on neighborhood sidewalks. I would say 80% do not respond with a “hello” as well. Icy to rude & aloof seems to be much of the response. If you love high taxes, high housing costs, traffic congestion, high cost of living, one of the highest gas prices in the country and are ultra liberal you will love it here.