Last Night A Stripper Saved My Life, 2012
Northlake’s story
76 years in pictures
Census counts: 4,361 in 1950, 12,840 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2012 and 8 maps from 1891 on.
- 1950Northlake is settled
Population
12,462
2025 Census estimate · −3.2% since 2020
Typical home
$308K
+5.2% in a year
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
41.9
years
Jobs based here
8,389
Balanced
TownGrade
C
#574 of 767 in IL
Is Northlake a good place to live?
Northlake is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 574th of 767 graded towns in Illinois, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $84K. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its public schools trail 79% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. A typical home there costs about $308K, 3.4 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. On civic life, just 8 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns do worse. Northlake is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. On history, just 88 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse.
What makes Northlake stand out
Where Northlake beats most towns.
How Northlake grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Northlake is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 13.8 of 20; 9.2% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →Jobs & incomeBOpen →Cost of livingC+Open →HealthLoyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital 3.2 miles awayB−Open →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsB+Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life1.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.9; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 170 attractions →Wrigley Field and 155 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Northlake. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw19 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
6 mi Stadium & arenaAllstate ArenaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Wrigley 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 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Allstate Arena: Nkon21, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Northlake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Northlake, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorthlake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
SchoolsLeyden Community High School District 212Berkeley School District 87Mannheim School District 833 districts serve Northlake; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCook County ClerkCook County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026
ZIP code6016460164 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Northlake.
Northlake has seen reported crime fall by about half, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
OutdoorsB+
3% of Northlake is conserved land
1.8 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Centerpoint Preserve & Recreational Facility, at 33 acres.
#231for trails in IL
| Northlake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
3%
conserved · 60 of 2,015 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grant Park Recreation Center | 0.5 mi | 15 |
| 2. Centerpoint Preserve & Recreational Facility | — | 33 |
| 3. Creekside Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Northlake
209 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 43 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 209 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Northlake.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
209
paid flood claims since 1978
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Northlake has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Northlake has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 17° and about 42 inches of snow falls in a winter.
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring39–59°
Summer62–82°
Fall43–62°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 1.4 jobs for every working resident, Northlake draws in 8,104 commuters
Most working residents leave Northlake for work: only 5% work in town. At 29 minutes, Northlake’s average trip to work is above both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Northlake has added 863 jobs, to 8,389 in 2023.
5%work in town
| Northlake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 11% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Northlake5%
Chicago22%
Franklin Park4%
Elk Grove Village4%
Melrose Park4%
8 mi
median commute distance
8,389
jobs based in Northlake
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB−
Residents of Northlake are healthier than 54% of U.S. towns
Northlake beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 22% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Northlake, above both the Illinois town median (7.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (8.1%). 24% of Northlake adults worry about having enough food.
54%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Northlake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 13% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Northlake | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 7.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.5% | 9.9% |
Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital
3.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
40th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C+
Northlake earns a C+ for cost of living
Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026.
$308KZillow home value
| Northlake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 71% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,123 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Northlake$308K
Illinois$296K
+5.2%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyB−
More crime per resident in Northlake than in 52% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 212 to 109 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
48%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Northlake1.5
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Northlake7.4
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
48th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
39th
percentile among IL towns
18
violent crimes reported in 2025
91
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Northlake
19pages on Northlake
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 79% of IL districtsSafetyB−1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than IL on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$308K typical home · up 5.2% in a yearWork & commuteB$84K median household income · 8,389 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
45 within 15 miles of the center of Northlake
Elmhurst UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elmhurst2.4 mi$42,955 tuitionTriton CollegeCommunity college · Public · River Grove3.3 mi$5,070 in-state tuitionNortheastern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Chicago10.6 mi$12,383 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Northlake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
About Northlake
City in Illinois, United States
Northlake is a city in Leyden Township and Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,840 at the 2020 census. The city's moniker is "The City of Friendly People". The name "Northlake" comes from two streets, North Avenue (IL 64) and Lake Street (US 20), which intersect on the city's West border.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 643 ft
- Area code
- 708
Northlake’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Northlake.
Elmhurst next door grades higher for schools (A− to Northlake’s C−) and lower for cost of living (D to C+).
Melrose ParkFranklin ParkStone ParkBerkeleyElmhurstProviso TownshipYork TownshipNorthlake
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northlake | #574 | C | C+ | B− | C− | B− |
| Melrose Park | #670 | C− | C | C | C− | C+ |
| Franklin Park | #511 | C+ | C | B− | C+ | B |
| Stone Park | #615 | C | C− | A | D | C− |
| Berkeley | #561 | C+ | C− | B+ | C− | B |
| Elmhurst | #93 | A | D | A− | A− | A+ |
| Proviso Township | #512 | C+ | C | — | C | B+ |
| York Township | #220 | A− | D | — | B+ | A |
Proviso Township and York Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Northlake with a neighbor →
Questions about Northlake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Northlake, IL a good place to live?
Northlake grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #574 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B− for health, B− for safety and C− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Northlake, IL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.