Worth Station - April 2016, 2016
Worth’s story
176 years in pictures
Census counts: 240 in 1920, 10,970 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016 and 8 maps from 1890 on.
- 1850Worth is settled
Population
10,696
2025 Census estimate · −2.5% since 2020
Median home value
$215K
Census ACS
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
39.4
years
Jobs based here
1,680
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#560 of 767 in IL
Is Worth a good place to live?
Worth is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C+ overall, 560th of 767 graded towns in Illinois, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 57% of Illinois towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $56K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $215K, 2.4 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Worth, against 8.4% in Illinois’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 108 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on hazard risk. Worth is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns.
What makes Worth stand out
Where Worth beats most towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Worth for work
Where Worth’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,680jobs based in Worth
4%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Worth grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Worth is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 14.2 of 20; 8.3% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeCOpen →Cost of livingC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →HealthPalos Community Hospital 1.8 miles awayB−Open →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 5% conserved landB+Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life1.4 library visits per resident; 1.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
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 Worth. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw13 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
Big draw16 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
_-_Chicago,_IL_-_June_2026.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Worth: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Worth, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWorth water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
SchoolsWorth School District 127Community High School District 218Consolidated High School District 2303 districts serve Worth; 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 code6048260482 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 Worth.
Worth is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Worth faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Worth.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 1996
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most of Worth’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Jobs based here fell from 2,391 in 2013 to 1,680.
Most working residents leave Worth for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Worth has lost 711 jobs, to 1,680 in 2023. The average trip to work in Worth is 28 minutes.
4%work in town
| Worth | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 11% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Worth4%
Chicago27%
Oak Lawn3%
Palos Heights2%
Palos Hills2%
13 mi
median commute distance
1,680
jobs based in Worth
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Worth, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Worth 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°
Spring39–60°
Summer62–82°
Fall44–63°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB+
Worth has set aside 5.3% of its land for conservation
0.9 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Altman Park, at 35 acres.
5.3%conserved
| Worth | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
5.3%
conserved · 80 of 1,516 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Altman Park | 0.3 mi | 35 |
| 2. Homerding Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
| 3. Peaks Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Worth is less healthy than 52% of U.S. towns
Against the 7,816 U.S. towns with household incomes like Worth’s, it is healthier than 79%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income. All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its B−, from Chicago Ridge (B+) to Palos Heights (A).
Worth beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 20% of adults binge drink in Worth.
48%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Worth | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Worth | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.7% | 10.3% |
| More smokers | 16.1% | 12.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 6.3% |
Palos Community Hospital
1.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
35th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyB−
Crime per resident in Worth is lower than in 50% of U.S. towns
Worth’s violent crime rate is 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
50%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Worth | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Worth2.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Worth8.5
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
50th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
41st
percentile among IL towns
23
violent crimes reported in 2025
90
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade C+
A home in Worth sells for about $322K at the median
64% of Worth households own their home.
$322Kmedian sale price
| Worth | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,169 a month | $1,128 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
48
days on market
101%
sale-to-list price
16
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Worth
19pages on Worth
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
28 within 15 miles of the center of Worth
Trinity Christian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Palos Heights1.5 mi$20,605 tuitionMoraine Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Palos Hills2.3 mi$3,822 in-state tuitionChicago State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Chicago9.7 mi$12,754 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Worth residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
About Worth
Village in Illinois, United States
Worth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,970.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 60482
- Area code
- 708
Worth’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Worth.
Chicago RidgePalos HeightsPalos HillsWorth
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worth | #560 | C+ | C+ | B− | B | B− |
| Chicago Ridge | #611 | C | C+ | C | C | B+ |
| Palos Heights | #206 | A− | D | B+ | A− | A |
| Palos Hills | #120 | A | C | A− | A | A− |
Questions about Worth
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Worth, IL a good place to live?
Worth grades C+ overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #560 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B− for health, B− for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Worth, IL expensive?
The typical home is worth about $215,000, 27% below the Illinois typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.