Photo: Miroslaw Mucha · Public domainHousehold incomes in Niles Township are higher than in 75% of U.S. towns
The two grades for Niles Township are B+ for jobs and income and A+ for walkability. 8.9% of residents are in poverty (Illinois 11.8%). About one in seven work in Niles Township; the top destination outside it is Chicago (36%, 14 miles).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Niles Township at work: what stands out
Much of Niles Township works one town over
55% of working residents work in a town that borders Niles Township: Chicago (36%), Skokie (8%) and Evanston (6%). Next door ↓
Niles Township gains people on a workday
About 132,000 people are in Niles Township on a workday afternoon, 20% more than the 110,000 who live here: 67,000 come in to work and 45,000 head out. Day and night ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey.
Jobs & income in Niles Township: the grade in detail
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Niles Township is better than 73% of U.S. towns, #308 of 768 in Illinois. Job access by car holds Niles Township’s grade up (among the top U.S. towns); unemployment pulls it down (5.4%, U.S. 5.2%). It also does well on household income and the poverty rate.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Niles Township could be anywhere from B+ to A−.
How a workday changes Niles Township
On a workday 44,674 residents head out to work, 7,384 work right here, and 66,927 people come in from elsewhere.
About 132,000 people are in Niles Township on a workday afternoon, 20% more than live here.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.43 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Where people from Niles Township work
Where Niles Township clocks in
36% of workers
8% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Jobs in Niles Township: what the 74,311 are
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Niles Township, 2013 → 2023: 61,047 → 74,311. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Niles Township’s own residents hold wherever they work.
How long Niles Township spends getting to work: about 28 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Niles Township workers work from home, vs 16% across Illinois. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 40,343 commuters (the 20% who work from home are left out). Across Illinois: 78% drive alone, 7% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
The distance from Niles Township to work
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Niles Township is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 50,333 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). Nearly all residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 63% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 11.8 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 95% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 7.2% of Niles Township households have no vehicle (Illinois 11.0%, U.S. 8.4%). 5% of Niles Township’s commuters take a bus or train.
These are town averages; neighborhoods differ.
How Niles Township ranks: 131st of 386 U.S. towns of 77,000 to 148,000
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakeville MN | 79,270 | $139K | 2.9% | 2.0% | 11% | A+ |
| 2 | Plymouth MN | 78,942 | $137K | 4.3% | 2.3% | 12% | A+ |
| 3 | South Jordan UT | 87,614 | $134K | 3.7% | 2.4% | 10% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 12 | Wheatland Township IL | 92,693 | $173K | 3.2% | 4.0% | 6% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 24 | Northfield Township IL | 89,835 | $137K | 7.1% | 3.5% | 16% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 34 | Lisle Township IL | 119,740 | $119K | 5.0% | 4.5% | 11% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 129 | Norwalk CT | 94,508 | $108K | 9.1% | 5.2% | 22% | B+ |
| 130 | Coral Springs FL | 138,783 | $94K | 7.6% | 5.1% | 13% | B+ |
| 131 | Niles Township IL | 109,978 | $97K | 8.9% | 5.4% | 14% | B+ |
| 132 | New Braunfels TX | 122,492 | $86K | 7.4% | 4.2% | 26% | B+ |
| 133 | Hillsboro OR | 111,126 | $106K | 8.5% | 4.8% | 34% | B+ |
| … | |||||||
| 386 | Flint MI | 79,306 | $38K | 34.1% | 14.8% | 20% | D |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of Niles Township, the top three, the last and three more from Illinois.
The towns next door employ 55% of Niles Township
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Niles Township workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niles Township | – | B+ | A+ | 28 min | $97,280 |
| Chicago | 36% | B− | A+ | 33 min | $77,902 |
| Skokie | 8% | B+ | A+ | 28 min | $95,337 |
| Niles | 3% | B | A+ | 28 min | $75,274 |
| Evanston | 6% | B | A+ | 28 min | $96,434 |
| New Trier Township | under 2% | A+ | A+ | 34 min | $215,916 |
| Northfield Township | under 2% | A | A+ | 27 min | $136,617 |
| Lincolnwood | 2% | A− | A+ | 29 min | $109,731 |
| Wilmette | under 2% | A+ | A+ | 35 min | $190,662 |
| Maine Township | under 2% | A− | A+ | 30 min | $98,291 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Chicago. Darker towns draw more of Niles Township’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Niles Township: questions
What is the median household income in Niles Township?
$97,280 (±$3,924) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $83,390 across Illinois and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Niles Township?
8.9%, against 11.8% across Illinois and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Niles Township?
28 minutes each way on average, against 28 across Illinois and 26 nationally. 20% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Niles Township work?
14% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Chicago (36%, 14 mi), Skokie (8%, 1 mi), Evanston (6%, 3 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Niles Township walkable?
Niles Township is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns (Walkability A+): an EPA walkability index of 15.9 out of 20, and 8% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Niles Township without a car?
5% of commuters take transit and 7% of households have no car. 63% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Niles Township, from the people who make the trip.
More of Niles Township
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.