The 10 Best Joliet Suburbs To Live In For 2022


We analyzed over 133 places around Joliet to identify the most kickass place to live.

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Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best Joliet suburbs.

Big city living isn't for everyone--but at the same time, urban areas certainly have their perks.

There's the culture, the food, the arts, the food, the energy, and you know, the food. But there are drawbacks. There's traffic, expensive parking, expensive housing--pretty much, expensive everything, depending on which big city you're looking at.

But that's where the suburbs come in--they have all of the benefits of being near big cities, without actually having to be big cities.

Of course, not all suburbs of Joliet are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado...

Here are the 10 best suburbs to live around Joliet for 2022:

  1. Western Springs
  2. Winfield
  3. La Grange
  4. Hinsdale
  5. La Grange Park
  6. Riverside
  7. Elmhurst
  8. Mokena
  9. Glen Ellyn
  10. Geneva

What's the best suburb of Joliet? Western Springs ranks as the best suburb of Joliet for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Western Springs, you're probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 Joliet 'burbs better than the rest--but first, a bit about our methodology.

Note: This result may differ from our state wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a larger selection of suburbs.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Illinois:

The 10 Best Joliet Suburbs To Live For 2022

Western Springs is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Joliet area. We'll tell you the good about "Awesome Western Springs."

Everyone here is rich; families average $184,412 a year, which is the 2nd highest in the Joliet region. And only 2.57% are out of work. Homes average more than $609,600 each.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,247
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $184,412
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 3.0%
More on Western Springs: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Western Springs, IL

Winfield is the second best 'burb we looked at near Joliet for 2022.

It ranks 9th for incomes in the area and only 1.38% of residents lack insurance, good for 5th best.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 9,683
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $125,481
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
Poverty Rate: 1.4%
More on Winfield: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Winfield, IL

Here in La Grange, it's really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you'll see in the Joliet metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in La Grange.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 15,555
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Income: $122,629
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 3.6%
More on La Grange: Real Estate | Data | Photos

La Grange, IL

Hinsdale ranks as the 4th best suburb of Joliet for 2022.

You won't find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Hinsdale and the schools are some of the best around.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 17,366
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Income: $206,701
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 1.9%
More on Hinsdale: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Hinsdale, IL

Coming in as the fifth best is La Grange Park.

La Grange Park gets kudos for having the 16th most expensive homes in the Joliet area, where houses sell for an average of $364,400. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,129
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 5)
Median Income: $107,945
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 5.1%
More on La Grange Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos

La Grange Park, IL

Riverside is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here's why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 5.46% which is 78th best in the area.

According to online reports, Riverside is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Joliet area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 8,748
Rank Last Year: 19 (Up 13)
Median Income: $120,336
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Poverty Rate: 2.7%
More on Riverside: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Riverside, IL

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Elmhurst.

Elmhurst schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it's only 28.1 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 46,571
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Median Income: $123,869
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 3.4%
More on Elmhurst: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Elmhurst, IL

Source: Public domain

Mokena is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 0.99% of people lack insurance, good for 2nd in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 20,720
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 4)
Median Income: $109,935
Unemployment Rate: 3.1%
Poverty Rate: 4.1%
More on Mokena: Real Estate | Data

Is 'Everything Better In Glen Ellyn?'

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it's really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 27,741
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Income: $118,208
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Glen Ellyn: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Glen Ellyn, IL

And rounding out the top ten for 2022 is Geneva.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It's far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 21,843
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 5)
Median Income: $116,083
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 3.7%
More on Geneva: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Geneva, IL

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Joliet for 2022

Figuring out the best suburbs around Joliet was pretty simple; we just needed to list several things that people like, and then find out which cities have the most of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High Median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

Then we used the newest American Community Survey data for 2016-2020 to research each suburb.

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Joliet.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 132 suburbs to evaluate around Joliet.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 132 in each category, where 1 was the "best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index the "Best Suburb near Joliet." We're lookin' at you, Western Springs. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best of the best. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Joliet 'Burbs of 2022

We said it once and we'll say it again--life in the big city isn't for everyone. At least not all the time.

So if you're hankering for some of the amenities of a larger city like Joliet, but don't want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.

For more Illinois reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Joliet Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Western Springs, IL 13,247 $184,412
2 Winfield, IL 9,683 $125,481
3 La Grange, IL 15,555 $122,629
4 Hinsdale, IL 17,366 $206,701
5 La Grange Park, IL 13,129 $107,945
6 Riverside, IL 8,748 $120,336
7 Elmhurst, IL 46,571 $123,869
8 Mokena, IL 20,720 $109,935
9 Glen Ellyn, IL 27,741 $118,208
10 Geneva, IL 21,843 $116,083
11 New Lenox, IL 26,788 $115,327
12 Burr Ridge, IL 10,761 $151,900
13 Clarendon Hills, IL 8,834 $103,486
14 Naperville, IL 147,734 $127,648
15 Frankfort, IL 19,166 $140,731
16 Plainfield, IL 44,857 $131,241
17 Elburn, IL 5,559 $95,717
18 Lemont, IL 17,131 $114,509
19 Wheaton, IL 53,157 $105,764
20 Wayne, IL 2,477 $132,695
21 Palos Park, IL 4,779 $114,020
22 Downers Grove, IL 49,263 $97,197
23 Palos Heights, IL 12,460 $90,995
24 Sugar Grove, IL 9,756 $110,607
25 Indian Head Park, IL 3,744 $88,496
26 Brookfield, IL 18,520 $84,891
27 Batavia, IL 26,479 $97,995
28 Lisle, IL 23,363 $96,945
29 Willowbrook, IL 8,610 $86,364
30 Willow Springs, IL 5,610 $98,664
31 Lombard, IL 43,755 $86,167
32 Oak Brook, IL 8,085 $140,743
33 St. Charles, IL 32,612 $102,414
34 Darien, IL 21,843 $100,771
35 Woodridge, IL 33,443 $88,803
36 Westchester, IL 16,255 $88,861
37 Beecher, IL 4,443 $86,576
38 Oswego, IL 35,470 $97,330
39 Homer Glen, IL 24,521 $108,783
40 Orland Hills, IL 7,069 $82,337
41 Minooka, IL 11,069 $97,097
42 Evergreen Park, IL 19,290 $79,396
43 Shorewood, IL 17,303 $106,341
44 Manhattan, IL 8,218 $105,726
45 Lockport, IL 25,499 $87,817
46 Orland Park, IL 58,380 $84,676
47 Bloomingdale, IL 21,905 $87,397
48 Channahon, IL 13,281 $99,429
49 Villa Park, IL 22,087 $79,314
50 Yorkville, IL 19,386 $101,245
51 Tinley Park, IL 56,082 $82,163
52 Oak Forest, IL 27,403 $78,865
53 Westmont, IL 24,677 $69,902
54 Peotone, IL 4,066 $80,606
55 Montgomery, IL 19,515 $99,208
56 Monee, IL 5,080 $76,638
57 Olympia Fields, IL 5,028 $93,350
58 Flossmoor, IL 9,318 $107,271
59 Homewood, IL 18,656 $77,013
60 Forest Park, IL 13,808 $70,670
61 North Aurora, IL 18,089 $90,315
62 Carol Stream, IL 39,447 $89,820
63 Manteno, IL 8,545 $71,576
64 Berkeley, IL 5,079 $71,025
65 Sandwich, IL 7,351 $70,563
66 North Riverside, IL 6,460 $55,879
67 Somonauk, IL 2,027 $71,375
68 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 2,909 $61,563
69 Bourbonnais, IL 19,639 $76,920
70 Elwood, IL 2,524 $81,250
71 Bolingbrook, IL 74,319 $92,184
72 Stickney, IL 6,607 $67,246
73 Midlothian, IL 14,464 $61,067
74 Warrenville, IL 13,137 $86,462
75 Hickory Hills, IL 14,253 $66,272
76 Braidwood, IL 6,338 $67,057
77 Oak Lawn, IL 55,432 $69,352
78 Romeoville, IL 39,644 $85,888
79 Palos Hills, IL 17,172 $64,364
80 Morris, IL 14,420 $61,419
81 Glendale Heights, IL 33,863 $70,034
82 Diamond, IL 2,786 $51,019
83 Addison, IL 36,714 $68,534
84 Lyons, IL 10,338 $66,005
85 Crestwood, IL 10,762 $60,541
86 Berwyn, IL 54,850 $61,915
87 Burbank, IL 28,447 $70,052
88 Crete, IL 8,058 $75,403
89 Hometown, IL 4,216 $51,487
90 Hazel Crest, IL 13,918 $55,010
91 Hillside, IL 7,937 $56,019
92 Plano, IL 11,058 $79,113
93 Broadview, IL 7,677 $54,537
94 University Park, IL 7,224 $62,258
95 Aurora, IL 199,326 $74,659
96 Seneca, IL 2,534 $74,907
97 Bellwood, IL 18,799 $63,006
98 Countryside, IL 5,929 $67,201
99 Matteson, IL 19,374 $84,611
100 Alsip, IL 18,843 $58,768

How Is Your Town In ?

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.