2022 Most Diverse Suburbs in the Chicago Area

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.35 out of 5  71 reviews

Current Resident: We live in a central location to go many places, however, we have a lively small downtown in Zion and there is usually something going on or a place for you to go. Though, parts of Zion can be dangerous and more crime ridden, the entire city isn't that way. The city is a working class city and have I had crime happen in my neighborhood? Yes, my parents' cars have been ransacked and there was a big-time burglar that lived down the street from us. But, this doesn't define my experience or made it any worse. There's good and bad to every place that people live but it's what you do to make that experience the best for yourself.... Read 71 reviews

• grade C+

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• Population 24,660

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.84 out of 5  96 reviews

Former Resident: Glendale Heights is a village in DuPage County in suburban Chicago. It's a wonderful place to be because of the diverse culture and various people there. As a result of its size, the communtiy is very close-knit, safe, and a has a healthy enviroment. I've been living here for the past eleven years and I can truly say that this is a great place to be! The library, sports hub, and police department have events often that help the kids in the area learn about new and fascinating things. The school districts are great too.... Read 96 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

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• Population 33,443

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.82 out of 5  249 reviews

Current Resident: Hello folks! I have been living in Bolingbrook for at least 15 years now and I have to say I am seeing lots of improvements. Around 2006-2015 Bolingbrook was a iffy place to be at meaning not a lot of upgrades going around, homes being rented out left and right, and just not a pleasing area to want to retire at. Then the years 2017-2022 huge changes being done with this suburb area. I'm seeing lots of changes being done, lots of new homes being built, the high school is getting tons of credibility from their student performances, and prices around the area is slowly raising.... Read 249 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

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• Population 73,807

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 2.25 out of 5  8 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade B minus

• grade A+

• Population 2,633

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.64 out of 5  566 reviews

Former Resident: Do not listen to some of these reviews. I was born in Dallas, lived in Oakland for a year, lived in Skokie Illinois for a year, and grew up in Aurora. My whole family is from Illinois and I love this place. This place has my favorite food (Deep dish Chicago pizza, Chicago-Style hotdogs, Italian beef, etc.) and many childhood places (Luigi's, Raging Waves, etc.). However, downtown Naperville is definitely nicer, but downtown Aurora is still really nice. Do not trust some of the statistics and reviews about "bad crime". However, there is a reason I gave this 4 stars... We became broke here and gained debt sadly. After 6th grade, I had to move to Perry Florida, but I'm moving back here, after I graduate from Tallahassee Community College. Everytime I think about this place nostalgia floods back and I can not get it out of my mind. This place is a very underrated gem. So if you like nice medium cities with people and charm this is definitely the place for you. Love you Aurora!... Read 566 reviews

• grade B+

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• Population 183,447

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.83 out of 5  24 reviews

Current Resident: The neighborhood is a nice place to live at. It is a really quiet place to basically live at. There isnt alot of people just walking around, there isnt alot of loud talking people that be out at 12 am in the morning. The neighbors are very friendly... Read 24 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C

• grade A+

• Population 5,314

• Suburb in Indiana

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  Rating 3.28 out of 5  188 reviews

Current Resident: I've lived in Hammond "Hessville area" most of my life. You can't beat the cost of living combined with: proximity to Chicago, relatively safe, food options, proximity to beaches, and nightlife. College bound program is a gamechanger! My college tuition was 100% paid for by Hammond and I graduated from a large university with 0 debt.... Read 188 reviews

• grade B

• grade C minus

• grade A+

• Population 77,491

• Town in Illinois

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  Rating 4.04 out of 5  233 reviews

Current Resident: I love the diversity Skokie has. You will always be able to find a community similar to you, whether it be related to your culture, ethnicity, or religion. Skokie is especially accessible to Muslims such as myself, providing halal food spots and plenty of events for people of all faiths. The Skokie Public Library is the best part of the town, because of the diverse collection of books and movies. The library even offers laser engraving, sewing, embroidery, and 3D printing services! I also love how Skokie connects to Chicago through the CTA, making transportation extremely easy and accessible.... Read 233 reviews

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• Population 67,444

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.82 out of 5  34 reviews

Current Resident: I liked the small community Hillside provides, with the local shopping district and the humble neighborhood residents.... Read 34 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C

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• Population 8,286

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.73 out of 5  91 reviews

Current Resident: There's a Target AND a Jewel Osco AND a Michael's near my place! The PetSmart is phenomenal! I also really like the Walmart nearby, good atmosphere.... Read 91 reviews

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• Population 37,545

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.17 out of 5  113 reviews

Current Resident: Got a beautiful home at a great price! Plenty of diamonds in the rough here and banks have grants depending on the area you buy. It's got easy access to many nearby towns with tons of amenities and the local businesses here are great! The ice cream place Zarlengos is fantastic. The people are kind and most keep their homes nice. There are parts of the heights that are a bit poorer but everyone works really hard to make it a good town. Easy to get a hold of our local officials as well. I see lots of opportunity here! Lots of nice neighborhoods by Vollmer and Joe Burr and only getting better!... Read 113 reviews

• grade C+

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• Population 27,840

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.62 out of 5  148 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Wheeling for over 30 years and seen the community grow. I came from the north side of Chicago have seen the park districts grow the parks are newly remodeled and very very clean. The village of Wheeling is very highly patrolled by the police officers a great fire department and public works. Neighbors are friendly and helpful. Great shopping and restaurants in the area. Great public transportation and trains. Excellent public schools. Good walking and bicycle pass. New public library Indian trails public library. During the winter sidewalks are clean by the village of Wheeling public works. Streets and sidewalks during the winter are always clean.... Read 148 reviews

• grade A

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• grade A+

• Population 39,104

• Suburb in Indiana

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  Rating 3.65 out of 5  112 reviews

Current Resident: I've lived in Merrillville for a few years now, and I've had a positive experience thus far. I grew up in the country for my entire childhood, and then as an adult moved to a large town, which is Merrillville. I still get the feel of the country that hold fondly, but everything is a short drive away. I love it! A big plus is Merrillville seems to be putting effort in expanding and making sure our communities are safe and developing.... Read 112 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B minus

• grade A+

• Population 36,196

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.63 out of 5  108 reviews

Current Resident: Lansing has an amicable atmosphere and everyone for the most part is friendly. We support each other and overall we have a nice safe community. The schools around here give us the necessary tools to move on into adulthood. Very rarely does anything criminal happen. Neighbors leave their doors open, kids play in the streets, and people walk their pets at night. Whenever I go to the park I see happy families. Lansing has unity which I've seen when the protests started. People follow the rules and stay in their houses because of the virus. I feel at peace in Lansing. The only thing that I would change is to increase funding to the schools programs since some clubs suffer because of financial problems. That or more sidewalks and pothole covers but that is because I am a serious bike rider. My parents picked Lansing because they knew that the people and the location were out of the city and therefore safer for us kids to flourish in without many worries or troubles. I am glad to live here.... Read 108 reviews

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• Population 28,916

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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• Population 2,649

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.58 out of 5  389 reviews

Current Resident: I love the diversity Joliet carries in its neighborhoods, but the downtown area really needs some fixing. There are many historical sites for tourists and is home to my entire family!... Read 389 reviews

• grade B

• grade B

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• Population 150,323

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.49 out of 5  61 reviews

Current Resident: This town is diverse of cultures and people, great suburb to raise kids as I have grown up here. I love everything about this town except for the potholes! Great youth programs, public library, local food places and bars. Located in the Midwest not far from Chicago it is close to the city for tourist attractions such as Millennium Park, Navy Pier, all the museums and zoos, as well as beaches.... Read 61 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade B

• grade A+

• Population 22,934

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.54 out of 5  83 reviews

Current Resident: Addison is a small town where in some neighborhoods everybody nows everyone and in other areas the people could care less about knowing their neighbors. However down the Main Street neighborhoods are put behind us and we are all in this together uniting as one town. Lake street is where this happens and lake street is where most of us kids hold our dearest memories. From biking down it, to just looking at it brings a nostalgic feeling to all no matter what the age. It's home to many businesses and the dear birthplace to the family owned businesses. Overall, a great place to live, but an even better place to just make memories in.... Read 83 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

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• Population 35,999

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.34 out of 5  70 reviews

Current Resident: I love the location of Round Lake, I am close to everything yet far enough so that traffic during rush hour is not an issue. I feel the pricing of homes is wonderful you get a lot for your money. Where I am located which would be considered the unincorporated area my children will be attending the Mundeline schools. Some parts of Round Lake such as my location the children attend better schools. The other parts of Round Lake attend lower quality schools. Such as the high school which has metal detectors and the reviews on the school are not positive. Property taxes are responsible for what your buying however with the amount of property taxes being paid the schools should be better.... Read 70 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

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• Population 18,720

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.48 out of 5  40 reviews

Current Resident: I am a resident of 5 years. If you go there now, you'll see a lot of business being built and new people moving in every week. It's starting to not be such a sleepy town anymore and I like that a lot. The people here are nice but tend to be extremely conservative, but there are people with more liberal values moving in. Lots of restaurants are being built and they are all really good. Jobs aren't scarce and there are a good variety of grocery stores and schools. I am a huge fan of the fact that there are lots of sports clubs for the kids and teenagers alike, such as volleyball, track, soccer, and more. It's a good place to live.... Read 40 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

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• Population 20,305

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 2.67 out of 5  6 reviews

• grade C

• grade C

• grade A+

• Population 4,022

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.18 out of 5  196 reviews

Current Resident: I’ve been living in and out of the city of Waukegan since I was five years old. This city has become my home and It is difficult to be unbiased to a city that I know has so much potential. The citizens of Waukegan go about their own business and I believe that they deserve more than what this city has to offer. Waukegan would be an excellent place to bring in more businesses, more tourist attractions and more food services. This alone would bring more jobs to the citizens and it’ll allow the city of Waukegan to thrive without relying solely on donations. Waukegan is a city full of friendly people who are willing to help in times of need, despite it being a low income community, the people here understand what it is to struggle and that is why they’re super supportive when anyone reaches out for help. I believe that once everyone sees the same potential as I do, and they reach out to help or to open a business in our city, that we will finally be able to strive as a community.... Read 196 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• grade A+

• Population 89,751

• Town in Illinois

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  Rating 3.96 out of 5  209 reviews

Current Resident: I think my parents got really lucky when they picked our neighborhood to move to when I was little. With a great elementary, middle, and high school district and a diverse group of friendly neighbors, I grew up in this quiet suburban area without much distraction. I participated in endless after-school programs, spent weekends poring over books in the library, and go to spend time with friends outdoors and at the movies, mall, and cafes. There is a lot to do and buy that is still affordable here, even with the nearby city prices skyrocketing recently. It is a perfect place to raise children. However, as a young adult just starting a career, I'm not sure if I'm going to stay here my entire life; it does feel like things are slowing down here, families moving out once their children graduate high school and most of my friends living in the city. If you're very family-oriented with young children and want safety, though, it's a great town that I wouldn't overlook.... Read 209 reviews

• grade A

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• Population 52,153

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.85 out of 5  53 reviews

Current Resident: Alsip has been the nicest little town in the suburbs of Chicago I've got to live in. I moved there in the summer of 2018 when I was only 17. It's proximity to various schools (whether it was a High School, Middle School or a College) is great for students who cannot afford a DownTown living space. It is only 30 minutes away from Chicago's center, which is a big plus for commuters for work or studying. Alsip is also about 10 minutes away from a train station in case some people cannot drive themselves to work and just need to take a train. Alsip is a nice town to live in for a family with kids, students or elders!... Read 53 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

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• Population 19,036

• Suburb of Chicago, IL

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  Rating 3.68 out of 5  107 reviews

Current Resident: Streamwood is an overall average city with a pretty calm lifestyle. There are an average amount of opportunities, although the schools lack a good education and environment. The schools should be improved, but other than that it's a pretty okay place to live. I've lived here all my life and felt like I belong. It's a welcoming community with mostly friendly people and affordable housing.... Read 107 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• grade A+

• Population 39,736