Cog Hill Above, 2007
Palos Park’s story
123 years in pictures
Census counts: 240 in 1920, 4,899 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 8 maps from 1890 on.
- 1903Palos Park is settled
Photo: Crosbiesmith · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,805
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Typical home
$563K
+10.2% in a year
Household income
$122K
median
Median age
59.7
years
Jobs based here
1,307
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#140 of 767 in IL
Is Palos Park a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Palos Park grades A overall, 140th among Illinois's 767 graded towns. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 93% of U.S. towns and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 88% of the country. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $562K for a typical one and 6.2 times the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. Palos Park’s trail density is 4.7 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Illinois’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Palos Park's public schools beat 85% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. The biggest park or preserve is Sag Valley Forest Preserve, at 60 acres.
What makes Palos Park stand out
Where Palos Park beats most towns.
Get outside
29 miles of trails in Palos Park
0.3% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
2
Forty Acre Woods0.2 mi of trails · 19 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Palos Park grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Palos Park is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →SafetyAOpen →HealthPalos Community Hospital 2.1 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Jobs & incomeA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 1.6% of households have no car; 2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landB−Open →History2 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life5.7 library visits per resident; 2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$563K typical home, up 10.2% in a year; 45 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 59.7; 52% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 166 attractions →Soldier Field and 153 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Palos Park. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw15 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
Big draw18 mi MuseumArt Institute of Chicago1.5M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Soldier 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
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Palos Park: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Palos Park, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPalos Heights water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEvery other week, day by addressCurbside recyclingTown site
SchoolsConsolidated High School District 230Palos Community Consolidated School District 118Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A3 districts serve Palos Park; 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 code6046460464 99%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 Palos Park.
Palos Park has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Illinois and reports less crime than Lemont or any other graded neighbor, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Illinois.
HousingCost of living grade D
Palos Park earns a D for cost of living
At 6.2 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income, the typical home (about $563K) costs more against local pay than in 94% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $9,152, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
90% of households own their home in Palos Park, above both the Illinois town median (75%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026.
$563KZillow home value
Typical home value
Palos Park$563K
Illinois$296K
Market temperature
45
days on market
98.6%
sale-to-list price
+10.2%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB−
Palos Park has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
At 4.7 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #2 of 589 Illinois towns.
29 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.
#2for trails in IL
0.3%
conserved · 12 of 3,988 acres
29 mi
of trails · 4.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sag Valley Forest Preserve | — | 60 |
| 2. Forty Acre Woods | 0.2 mi | 19 |
| 3. Centennial Park | 0.2 mi | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyA
Palos Park earns an A for safety
Its A tops all 4 graded towns on its borders; Lemont (A−) comes closest. Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
Palos Park’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
93%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Palos Park | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Palos Park0
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Palos Park4.8
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
93rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
94th
percentile among IL towns
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
23
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthA
Palos Park earns an A for health
Against the 5,484 U.S. towns with household incomes like Palos Park’s, it is healthier than 73%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
13% of Palos Park adults report frequent mental distress. Palos Park beats the Illinois average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 27% of Palos Park adults have obesity.
88%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Palos Park | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 37% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
19 better8 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Palos Park | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.4% | 7.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.5% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.3% | 7.6% |
Palos Community Hospital
2.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
81st
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Palos Park’s workers commute out
28.8% of workers work from home, against 15.9% across Illinois.
Most working residents leave Palos Park for work: only 2% work in town. The median household income in Palos Park is $122,000. Jobs based in Palos Park grew to 1,307 in 2023, 244 more than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Palos Park | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $122,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Palos Park2%
Chicago25%
Palos Heights4%
Orland Park4%
Oak Lawn3%
14 mi
median commute distance
1,307
jobs based in Palos Park
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Palos Park
Palos Park has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 17° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring39–59°
Summer62–82°
Fall43–63°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Palos Park
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Palos Park.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
10
paid flood claims since 1979
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Palos Park
20pages on Palos Park
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 85% of IL districtsSafetyA0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than IL on 19 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD$563K typical home · up 10.2% in a yearWork & commuteA−$122K median household income · 1,307 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 54% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
18 within 15 miles of the center of Palos Park
Moraine Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Palos Hills2 mi$3,822 in-state tuitionTrinity Christian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Palos Heights2.4 mi$20,605 tuitionChicago State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Chicago11.9 mi$12,754 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Palos Park residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Palos Park for work
Where Palos Park’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,307jobs based in Palos Park
2%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Palos Park
Village in Illinois, United States
Palos Park is a village in southwestern Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 4,899.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1914
- Area
- 4.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 689 ft
- ZIP code
- 60464
- Area code
- 708
Palos Park’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Palos Park.
LemontPalos HeightsOrland ParkPalos HillsPalos TownshipLemont TownshipPalos Park
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palos Park | #140 | A | D | A | A | A |
| Lemont | #13 | A+ | C | A− | A− | A+ |
| Palos Heights | #206 | A− | D | B+ | A− | A |
| Orland Park | #168 | A | D | B+ | A− | A |
| Palos Hills | #120 | A | C | A− | A | A− |
| Palos Township | #157 | A | C | — | A | A |
| Lemont Township | #25 | A+ | C | — | A− | A |
Palos Township and Lemont Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Palos Park with a neighbor →
Questions about Palos Park
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Palos Park, IL a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Palos Park grades A overall, better than 88% of U.S. towns and #140 of 767 in Illinois. It grades A for health, A for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Palos Park, IL expensive?
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.
What is Palos Park, IL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Sandra G. Biedron and Hope Lewellen.