Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yes, by almost any measure. New Lenox earns an A, 87th of 767 graded towns in Illinois. The median household earns $141K, residents are healthier than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and its public schools beat 82% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $458K for a typical one and 5 times the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. New Lenox’s median household income is $141,000, above both the Illinois town median ($83,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Only 122 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on history. New Lenox is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns.
Where New Lenox beats most towns.
24,394 counted in 2010 and 27,214 in 2020; an estimated 28,893 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.1% since 2020, after 11.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far New Lenox is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,235 in 1950, 27,214 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 7 maps from 1890 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Lenox, 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 New Lenox.
New Lenox has less food insecurity than most of Illinois, has household incomes well above the Illinois norm and sees little violent crime.
The median property tax bill is $9,276, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
92% of households own their home in New Lenox. The typical New Lenox home is worth about $458,000, up 3.1% in a year, 55% above the Illinois typical home. The median rent in New Lenox is $1,431 a month.
| New Lenox | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 92% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,431 a month | $1,128 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its widest gap with Illinois is food insecurity: 8.2% of its 19,942 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.9% statewide. Against the 3,488 U.S. towns with household incomes like New Lenox’s, it is less healthy than 51%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
8.3% of New Lenox adults have diabetes. New Lenox beats the Illinois average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of New Lenox adults have high blood pressure.
| New Lenox | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.3% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | New Lenox | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.2% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.6% | 9.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 21.5% | 17.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime is rare: 16 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
New Lenox’s violent crime rate is 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
| New Lenox | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
New Lenox has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 17° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median household earns $140,865, against $83,390 across Illinois, one input to its A+ for jobs and income.
Children under 18 are 30% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (23% statewide). New Lenox has grown 6.1% since 2020, to 28,893 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 48% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Illinois.
| New Lenox | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 48% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 36.8 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.5 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.6, men 35.3.
| New Lenox | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.2% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.7% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.6% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.2% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.4% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.1% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.6% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.2% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.6% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.7% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.9% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Jobs based here grew from 5,933 in 2013 to 12,156.
Jobs based in New Lenox grew to 12,156 in 2023, 6,223 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave New Lenox for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Chicago (15%), Joliet (6%) and Mokena (3%).
| New Lenox | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 1.5% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 15% | 11% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 40 flood insurance claims have been paid out in New Lenox.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2.3 miles of trail in 21 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Hadley Valley Preserve, at 155 acres.
| New Lenox | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.3% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crystal Springs Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
| 2. Palmer Valley Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
| 3. Hadley Valley Preserve | — | 155 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Lenox. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw28 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
Big draw31 mi MuseumArt Institute of Chicago1.5M visitors a yearSoldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · 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 · Art Institute of Chicago: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0
7 within 15 miles of the center of New Lenox
About 5 of every 100 New Lenox residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
3 notable people were born in New Lenox.
Village in Illinois, United States
New Lenox is a village in central Will County, Illinois, United States. It is a Southwest suburb of Chicago. The village population was 27,214 as of the 2020 census. New Lenox has schools like Lincoln-Way West High School, Providence Catholic High School, and Lincoln-Way Central High School.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with New Lenox.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Lenox | #87 | A | C− | B+ | A− | A |
| Joliet | #667 | C− | C+ | C | C− | C+ |
| Ingalls Park | #711 | D | C+ | — | C− | C− |
| Mokena | #69 | A | C | A− | A | A− |
Ingalls Park reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare New Lenox with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. New Lenox grades A overall, better than 93% of U.S. towns and #87 of 767 in Illinois. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
3 notable people were born here, including Danijela Jackovich and Casey Paus.
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