Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yes, by almost any measure. Highland Park earns an A, ranked 57th of 767 in Illinois. It is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns, the median household earns $168K, and its schools outperform 92% of the state's. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $802K for a typical one and 8.8 times the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. 77% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Highland Park, above both the Illinois town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Highland Park is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Fort Sheridan Historic District and Jens Jensen Summer House and Studio.
Where Highland Park beats most towns.
Fort Sheridan Historic District is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 35 National Register listings are more than in 99% of Illinois towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,154 in 1880, 30,176 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1871 and 8 maps from 1900 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Highland Park is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Highland Park. Close and well known come first.
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw30 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
Big draw14 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great America3.0M visitors a yearWrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Six Flags Great America: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Highland Park, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Highland Park.
Highland Park has less food insecurity than most of Illinois and trades workers with Chicago and other neighbors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Illinois.
At 8.8 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income, the typical home (about $802K) costs more against local pay than in 98% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Home values rose 46% in five years, to about $802K, against 30% across Illinois.
The median rent in Highland Park is $1,925 a month. Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026. 84% of households own their home in Highland Park.
| Highland Park | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,925 a month | $1,128 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #16 of 768 in Illinois.
Highland Park’s trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile. The Preserve of Highland Park, at 106 acres with 5.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 31 miles of trail in 44 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Preserve of Highland Park | 5.2 mi | 106 |
| 2. Walter E. Heller Nature Preserve | 3.2 mi | 89 |
| 3. Ravinia Festival | 2 mi | 40 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Illinois is food insecurity: 5.8% of its 23,326 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.9% statewide. Against the 1,752 U.S. towns with household incomes like Highland Park’s, it is healthier than 81%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
11% of Highland Park adults report frequent mental distress. Highland Park beats the Illinois average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 26% of Highland Park adults feel lonely.
| Highland Park | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 33% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.9% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Highland Park | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.8% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.5% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Highland Park has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 768 Illinois towns, just 9 have a lower July high than Highland Park.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 84 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Highland Park.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Highland Park has about as many jobs (13,642) as working residents, but only 1,287 people both live and work here. 26.5% of workers work from home, against 15.9% across Illinois.
Jobs based in Highland Park grew to 13,642 in 2023, 1,659 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Chicago (26%), Northbrook (6%) and Deerfield (3%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
| Highland Park | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $168,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 27% | 11% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.2% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Highland Park's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 17 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Highland Park | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.4 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
11 within 15 miles of the center of Highland Park
About 4 of every 100 Highland Park residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
10.5% of the town is conserved land, across 44 parks and preserves.
35 places in Highland Park on the National Register of Historic Places.
56 notable people were born in Highland Park.
City in Illinois, United States
Highland Park is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 30,176 at the 2020 census. Highland Park is located on the North Shore of the Chicago metropolitan area, about 25 miles (40 km) north of downtown Chicago. According to the United States Census Bureau, the median household income in Highland Park exceeded an estimated $159,567 in 2022.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Highland Park.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park | #57 | A | D− | — | A | A+ |
| Moraine Township | #58 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Highwood | #298 | B+ | D | — | A | B+ |
| Lake Forest | #12 | A+ | D | A− | A | A+ |
| Deerfield | #51 | A+ | D− | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Bannockburn | — | — | — | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Glencoe | #11 | A+ | D− | A− | A+ | A+ |
| New Trier Township | #45 | A+ | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
Bannockburn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Highland Park, Moraine Township, Highwood and New Trier Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Highland Park with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Highland Park grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #57 of 767 in Illinois. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
56 notable people were born here, including Aaron Swartz and Grace Slick.
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