These Are The 10 Best Cities For Hippies In Illinois


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You might think that the whole hippie movement has faded away, but the truth is, there are plenty of hippies out there in Illinois.

While they aren’t necessarily in your face all the time with war protests and the next Woodstock isn’t being planned any time soon, we thought it would be fun to look at which cities in the Prairie State where the most hippies would live.

And, after crunching the data, you know what? It was pretty spot on, we have to say.

How do you decide where the most hippies live? By the number of yoga studios, organic markets, and most importantly, where the liberals live in droves.

Using that criteria, it’s not hard to scrape the internet, run some scientific data on where hippies might live in Illinois, and then put out a list.

So, put on your tie dye shirt and your sandals as you go through this list with us.

After analyzing all cities with a decent amount of people in them, we came up with this list of the 10 best cities for hippies in Illinois:

  1. Northfield
  2. Lincolnwood
  3. Broadview
  4. North Riverside (Photos)
  5. Berkeley
  6. Hillside (Photos)
  7. Countryside
  8. Riverside (Photos)
  9. Stickney
  10. Harwood Heights (Photos)

Read on below to see where your town ranked, young flower child.

And if you already knew these places were hippie heavens, check out the best places to live in Illinois or the safest places to live in Illinois.

How do you determine the most beatnik city in Illinois?

In order to rank the best cities for hippies in Illinois, we had to determine what criteria defines a hippie.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the Google Places API, the Census’s 2010-2014 American Community Survey, and Voter Registration data, this is the criteria we used:

  • Number of yoga studios per capita
  • Number of organic markets per capita
  • Number of pet adoption centers per capita
  • Number of vegan restaurants per capita
  • Number of thrift stores per capita
  • Each city’s liberal voting population

Note: For the sake of getting reliable numbers, we counted places within a ~4.5 mile radius of a city’s center. The average city in America is about 18 square miles.

All of these results are listed in a per capita basis, meaning number of stores per person in a city. Additionally, we limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 5,000 people.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 339 in each category, where 1 was the most hippie.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a hippie index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the highest hippie index the ‘Best City for Hippies In Illinois.’ We’re lookin’ at you, Northfield.

Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in hippie central. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from hippiest to most square.

1. Northfield



Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 4.5
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 1.88
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.31
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 2.25
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 5.06

2. Lincolnwood



Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 4.5
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.79
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.34
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 3.0
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 4.58
Lincolnwood (formerly Tessville) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,590 at the 2010 census.

3. Broadview



Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 3.52
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 1.26
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.13
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.51
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 4.27
Broadview is a village in Cook County, Illinois, 12 miles (19 km) west of downtown Chicago. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,932.

4. North Riverside

North Riverside, Illinois

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 4.18
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 1.01
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.72
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.15
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 4.18

5. Berkeley



Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 1.34
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.77
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.72
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.15
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 4.6
Berkeley is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Incorporated in 1924, the population at the 2010 census was 5,209.

6. Hillside

Hillside, Illinois

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 1.95
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.85
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.22
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.1
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.44

7. Countryside



Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 2.51
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 1.17
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.17
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.5
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 3.52
Countryside is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,895 at the 2010 census.

8. Riverside

Riverside, Illinois

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 2.92
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.79
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.56
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.79
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 4.37
Riverside is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. A significant portion of the village is in the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The population of the village was 8,875 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of Chicago, located roughly 9 miles (14 km) west of downtown Chicago and 2 miles (3 km) outside city limits.

9. Stickney



Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 1.32
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.44
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.73
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.03
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 4.26

10. Harwood Heights

Harwood Heights, Illinois

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 1.16
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.58
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.92
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.81
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 3.7

There You Have It — The Hippies Of Illinois

If you’re measuring the locations in Illinois where there are lots of liberals, and there are many options for vegan food, yoga and thrift stores, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious, here are the most square places in Illinois:

  1. Sumner
  2. West Frankfort
  3. Decatur

For more Illinois reading , check out:

Detailed List Of The Hippiest Cities In Illinois

City Rank Population
Northfield 1 5,332
Lincolnwood 2 12,653
Broadview 3 7,956
North Riverside 4 6,940
Berkeley 5 5,219
Hillside 6 8,192
Countryside 7 5,974
Riverside 8 8,915
Stickney 9 6,810
Harwood Heights 10 8,656
Orland Hills 11 7,252
La Grange Park 12 13,624
Olympia Fields 13 5,022
Glencoe 14 8,824
Lyons 15 10,667
Inverness 16 7,516
Oak Brook 17 7,967
Western Springs 18 13,066
Highwood 19 5,400
Willowbrook 20 8,607
Willow Springs 21 5,692
Lincolnshire 22 7,270
Lynwood 23 9,260
River Grove 24 10,268
Peoria Heights 25 6,056
Winnetka 26 12,366
Clarendon Hills 27 8,548
Norridge 28 14,713
Long Grove 29 8,017
Summit 30 11,367
Brookfield 31 19,022
Robbins 32 5,221
River Forest 33 11,211
Westchester 34 16,786
Spring Valley 35 5,441
Forest Park 36 14,202
Schiller Park 37 11,842
Calumet Park 38 8,189
Flossmoor 39 9,339
La Grange 40 15,675
Milan 41 5,122
Prospect Heights 42 16,344
Northlake 43 12,368
Bellwood 44 19,149
Palos Heights 45 12,572
Glenwood 46 9,040
Winfield 47 9,368
Wilmette 48 27,345
Barrington 49 10,830
West Dundee 50 7,367
Posen 51 5,934
Round Lake Park 52 7,758
Gilberts 53 7,256
Hinsdale 54 16,898
Warrenville 55 13,361
Morton Grove 56 23,424
Swansea 57 13,870
Itasca 58 8,579
Rolling Meadows 59 23,646
Justice 60 13,001
Maywood 61 24,148
Melrose Park 62 25,514
East Alton 63 6,231
Savoy 64 7,835
Johnsburg 65 6,322
Niles 66 29,939
Deerfield 67 18,476
University Park 68 6,852
Shiloh 69 12,706
Matteson 70 19,097
Silvis 71 7,525
Franklin Park 72 18,389
Crestwood 73 11,006
Elmwood Park 74 24,960
Lisle 75 22,626
Maryville 76 7,727
Hazel Crest 77 14,102
Lake Bluff 78 5,867
Burr Ridge 79 10,678
Skokie 80 65,056
Westmont 81 25,236
Cahokia 82 14,905
Shorewood 83 16,186
Hickory Hills 84 14,117
Libertyville 85 20,398
Villa Park 86 22,073
Country Club Hills 87 16,752
Markham 88 12,625
Northbrook 89 33,396
Bridgeview 90 16,550
Midlothian 91 14,901
Glen Ellyn 92 27,394
Centreville 93 5,208
Lakemoor 94 6,576
Steger 95 9,569
Bensenville 96 18,457
Willowbrook 97 8,607
Alsip 98 19,385
Worth 99 10,827
Richton Park 100 13,718
Homewood 101 19,642
Lansing 102 28,486
Bartonville 103 6,440
Geneva 104 21,662
Crete 105 8,284
Mokena 106 18,804
North Aurora 107 16,927
Park Ridge 108 37,511
Fairview Heights 109 17,250
Frankfort 110 18,100
Wood Dale 111 13,882
Glenview 112 45,400
Evergreen Park 113 19,924
Riverdale 114 13,278
Cary 115 18,115
South Holland 116 22,123
Park Forest 117 22,490
Lake In The Hills 118 28,926
Crest Hill 119 20,444
Chicago Heights 120 30,410
Montgomery 121 18,780
Creve Coeur 122 5,717
Wheeling 123 37,886
Lake Forest 124 18,914
Lake Villa 125 8,860
Evanston 126 75,282
Lake Zurich 127 19,849
Batavia 128 25,905
Darien 129 22,251
Highland Park 130 29,819
Chicago Ridge 131 14,410
Grayslake 132 20,863
Roselle 133 22,951
Oak Park 134 51,988
Lemont 135 16,376
Lombard 136 43,853
Bradley 137 15,822
Spring Valley 138 5,441
Glen Carbon 139 13,095
Vernon Hills 140 25,535
Glendale Heights 141 34,436
South Beloit 142 8,129
Bloomingdale 143 22,208
Moline 144 43,087
Hawthorn Woods 145 7,727
Round Lake 146 18,399
Blue Island 147 23,453
Sugar Grove 148 9,096
Beach Park 149 13,851
Troy 150 9,931
Campton Hills 151 10,908
Des Plaines 152 58,802
Berwyn 153 56,762
Dolton 154 23,262
Tinley Park 155 57,099
Burbank 156 29,097
Plano 157 11,371
Addison 158 37,215
St. Charles 159 33,422
Palos Hills 160 17,584
Mount Prospect 161 54,589
Elmhurst 162 45,105
Rockton 163 7,461
Algonquin 164 30,189
Spring Grove 165 5,390
Round Lake Beach 166 28,048
Hanover Park 167 38,302
Mundelein 168 31,498
Harvey 169 25,225
Fox Lake 170 10,757
Rock Island 171 38,888
Bourbonnais 172 18,641
Downers Grove 173 49,372
Buffalo Grove 174 41,613
South Elgin 175 22,126
Woodridge 176 33,227
Lindenhurst 177 14,412
Lasalle 178 9,537
Hoffman Estates 179 52,271
Peru 180 10,172
Arlington Heights 181 75,577
Braidwood 182 6,191
Carol Stream 183 40,136
North Chicago 184 30,760
Pontoon Beach 185 5,804
O’Fallon 186 29,100
Sandwich 187 7,513
Wheaton 188 53,406
Gurnee 189 31,182
Island Lake 190 8,033
Orland Park 191 57,802
Oak Forest 192 28,104
Carpentersville 193 38,128
Urbana 194 41,760
Elburn 195 5,733
Palatine 196 69,015
Mount Zion 197 5,830
Godfrey 198 17,911
Sycamore 199 17,473
West Chicago 200 27,416
Geneseo 201 6,500
Streamwood 202 40,746
Rock Falls 203 9,111
East Peoria 204 23,225
Cicero 205 84,423
Monee 206 5,133
Mchenry 207 26,803
Olney 208 8,997
Ottawa 209 18,992
Wauconda 210 13,189
Murphysboro 211 8,189
Schaumburg 212 74,560
Roscoe 213 10,724
Effingham 214 12,428
Yorkville 215 17,980
Antioch 216 14,395
Vandalia 217 6,247
Oak Lawn 218 56,969
East St. Louis 219 26,697
Belleville 220 43,296
Carterville 221 5,635
Crystal Lake 222 40,598
Alton 223 27,517
Carbondale 224 26,374
Kankakee 225 27,145
Lockport 226 25,063
Loves Park 227 24,435
Minooka 228 11,225
New Lenox 229 24,747
Bolingbrook 230 74,112
Hampshire 231 6,053
Edwardsville 232 24,464
East Moline 233 21,294
Machesney Park 234 23,180
Bartlett 235 41,529
Romeoville 236 39,675
Mount Vernon 237 15,069
Dekalb 238 44,092
Morris 239 13,929
Wood River 240 10,477
Highland 241 9,738
Oswego 242 31,723
Galesburg 243 31,898
Marengo 244 7,451
Genoa 245 5,716
Sterling 246 15,208
Bethalto 247 9,443
Litchfield 248 6,913
Princeton 249 7,698
Normal 250 54,082
Fairfield 251 5,080
Metropolis 252 6,466
Manteno 253 9,585
Woodstock 254 25,121
Channahon 255 12,422
Flora 256 5,045
Champaign 257 82,848
Naperville 258 144,108
Mascoutah 259 7,675
Paris 260 8,702
Carlinville 261 5,615
Benton 262 7,185
Collinsville 263 25,282
Plainfield 264 40,641
Greenville 265 6,860
Marion 266 17,353
Peoria 267 115,718
Jerseyville 268 8,305
Chicago 269 2,712,608
Macomb 270 19,193
Freeport 271 25,225
Waukegan 272 88,671
Colona 273 5,057
Clinton 274 6,931
Rockford 275 151,290
Jacksonville 276 19,315
Homer Glen 277 24,322
Winthrop Harbor 278 6,744
Highland 279 9,738
Kewanee 280 12,694
Quincy 281 40,782
Centralia 282 12,880
Columbia 283 9,889
Mendota 284 7,161
Rantoul 285 13,214
Canton 286 14,650
Belvidere 287 25,713
Bloomington 288 77,883
Joliet 289 147,786
Monticello 290 5,400
Zion 291 24,292
Lincoln 292 14,382
Pingree Grove 293 5,062
Monmouth 294 9,565
Elgin 295 110,906
Dixon 296 14,963
Danville 297 32,483
Mahomet 298 7,592
Decatur 299 75,088
Chillicothe 300 6,181
Waterloo 301 10,102
Harvard 302 9,829
Aurora 303 199,878
Herrin 304 12,721
Shelbyville 305 5,211
Robinson 306 7,264
Hoopeston 307 5,474
Watseka 308 5,463
Beardstown 309 6,336
Mattoon 310 17,906
Morton 311 16,493
Pekin 312 33,928
Carmi 313 5,307
Pontiac 314 12,012
Springfield 315 116,815
Streator 316 13,152
Huntley 317 25,200
Harrisburg 318 8,989
Salem 319 7,135
Chatham 320 12,131
Eureka 321 5,638
Pana 322 5,601
Charleston 323 22,065
Du Quoin 324 6,012
Mount Carmel 325 7,155
Manhattan 326 7,017
Chester 327 8,495
Washington 328 15,525
Hillsboro 329 8,371
Taylorville 330 11,761
Pinckneyville 331 5,600
Bartlett 332 41,529
Rochelle 333 9,492
Spring Valley 334 5,441
Poplar Grove 335 5,498
Auburn 336 5,004
Decatur 337 75,088
West Frankfort 338 8,247
Sumner 339 5,556

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.