Illinois will always be as lucky and wealthy as a lottery winner because they house the Chicago Bears. However, there is more to Illinois than just its great sports teams: there are super wealthy cities in the Land of Lincoln that placate the rich and famous.
You can stop your search if you’re looking for safe cities and neighborhoods, amazing schools, and high-end shopping with a bank account to match. The cities in our top ten Richest Cities in Illinois have these 5-star amenities, and then some. They are mainly centralized around Chi-town.
Cities on our list, like Glencoe, offer beachfront access to Lake Michigan, and cities like Deerfield provide upscale golf courses enough to play a different course every day of the week. Now, it’s not lost on us that there are multiple cities on our ten best cities to live in Illinois for 2026 that are also on our richest list.
Wealthy cities tend to have it all.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Richest Places In Illinois For 2026
How does one get their hand on one of these Illinois gems? You’ll need to find a job that averages $150,000/year. Might we suggest a career in real estate in our number one richest city? The median home price in this city is $700,000.
What city in Illinois is the richest? The wealthiest city in Illinois is Winnetka.
To see which cities come out as the wealthiest in Illinois for 2026, grab a slice of deep-dish pizza at a nice, quiet spot on Lake Michigan and look at the list below.
Rich people not your cup of tea? Feel free to check out some more reading about Illinois:
The 10 Richest Cities In Illinois For 2026
1. Winnetka
/10
Population: 12,484
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $1,818,304
More on Winnetka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Hinsdale
/10
Population: 17,175
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $1,244,308
More on Hinsdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Glencoe
/10
Population: 8,701
Median Income: $248,933
Median Home Values: $1,577,964
More on Glencoe: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Lake Forest
/10
Population: 19,416
Median Income: $235,081
Median Home Values: $1,167,578
More on Lake Forest: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Long Grove
/10
Population: 8,305
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Values: $924,480
More on Long Grove: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Riverwoods
/10
7. South Barrington
/10
8. Kildeer
/10
9. Western Springs
/10
Population: 13,446
Median Income: $230,255
Median Home Values: $863,782
More on Western Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Barrington Hills
Methodology: How We Determined The Richest Places In Illinois For 2026
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the richest places is simply identifying personal incomes. After all, rich people have really high salaries.
However, we don’t believe that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “richest places.” So we looked at this set of criteria from the newly released 2020-2024 American Community Survey and applied Saturday Night Science:
- Median Home Values
- Median Household Income
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is. And home values are a measure of wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After we collected the data for all 412 places with more than 3,000 people in Illinois, we ranked each place from 1 to 412 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the richest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Rich Score,” with the place having the lowest overall Rich Score, Winnetka, crowned the “Richest City In Illinois For 2026.”
The data has been updated for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the wealthiest cities in Illinois.
You can skip to the end to see the rankings for all 412 places.
Summary: The Wealthiest Places In Illinois For 2026
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the richest places in Illinois, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Illinois.
The richest cities in Illinois are Winnetka, Hinsdale, Glencoe, Lake Forest, Long Grove, Riverwoods, South Barrington, Kildeer, Western Springs, and Barrington Hills.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very top of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the poorest cities in Illinois, according to data:
Poorest: East St. Louis
2nd Poorest: Eldorado
3rd Poorest: Lawrenceville
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
Detailed List Of The Richest Cities In Illinois
| Rank | City | RichScore | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winnetka | 1.75 | $250,001 | $1,818,304 |
| 2 | Hinsdale | 2.75 | $250,001 | $1,244,308 |
| 3 | Glencoe | 4.0 | $248,933 | $1,577,964 |
| 4 | Lake Forest | 5.5 | $235,081 | $1,167,578 |
| 5 | Long Grove | 6.25 | $250,001 | $924,480 |
| 6 | Riverwoods | 7.0 | $249,205 | $949,530 |
| 7 | South Barrington | 7.5 | $221,575 | $1,108,364 |
| 8 | Kildeer | 7.75 | $250,001 | $837,453 |
| 9 | Western Springs | 9.5 | $230,255 | $863,782 |
| 10 | Barrington Hills | 10.0 | $205,074 | $1,020,850 |
| 11 | North Barrington | 12.0 | $226,055 | $821,485 |
| 12 | Wilmette | 12.0 | $190,662 | $961,182 |
| 13 | Oak Brook | 13.0 | $175,870 | $966,776 |
| 14 | Inverness | 14.5 | $207,434 | $787,209 |
| 15 | Hawthorn Woods | 15.5 | $219,631 | $727,355 |
| 16 | Campton Hills | 18.0 | $209,134 | $666,624 |
| 17 | Northfield | 18.0 | $161,500 | $841,445 |
| 18 | Deer Park | 19.0 | $174,458 | $743,157 |
| 19 | Lincolnshire | 19.5 | $185,580 | $714,055 |
| 20 | Highland Park | 19.5 | $168,094 | $751,000 |
| 21 | Burr Ridge | 21.0 | $156,829 | $828,471 |
| 22 | Lake Bluff | 22.0 | $204,000 | $633,529 |
| 23 | Deerfield | 23.0 | $181,660 | $635,444 |
| 24 | Northbrook | 25.0 | $157,782 | $688,265 |
| 25 | La Grange | 26.5 | $159,929 | $639,654 |
| 26 | Green Oaks | 27.5 | $147,614 | $730,454 |
| 27 | Libertyville | 28.0 | $165,667 | $603,285 |
| 28 | River Forest | 29.5 | $146,786 | $716,652 |
| 29 | Naperville | 30.5 | $155,105 | $610,453 |
| 30 | Elmhurst | 32.0 | $149,644 | $613,207 |
| 31 | Barrington | 32.5 | $147,989 | $613,360 |
| 32 | Glenview | 34.0 | $143,056 | $663,146 |
| 33 | Riverside | 34.0 | $153,686 | $547,998 |
| 34 | Frankfort | 38.0 | $154,375 | $487,132 |
| 35 | Park Ridge | 39.0 | $142,986 | $564,904 |
| 36 | Geneva | 40.0 | $144,341 | $532,206 |
| 37 | Clarendon Hills | 41.0 | $130,388 | $666,350 |
| 38 | Glen Ellyn | 41.0 | $140,938 | $562,204 |
| 39 | Lake Barrington | 42.0 | $141,958 | $534,062 |
| 40 | Sleepy Hollow | 42.0 | $149,813 | $460,163 |
| 41 | Homer Glen | 45.0 | $136,678 | $505,178 |
| 42 | Lake Zurich | 47.0 | $135,968 | $488,102 |
| 43 | Wadsworth | 50.5 | $142,738 | $449,330 |
| 44 | Lemont | 50.5 | $123,370 | $565,404 |
| 45 | Winfield | 52.0 | $135,795 | $456,206 |
| 46 | New Lenox | 55.0 | $140,865 | $440,655 |
| 47 | Plainfield | 55.5 | $144,000 | $421,480 |
| 48 | Palos Park | 56.0 | $121,696 | $530,825 |
| 49 | Gilberts | 57.0 | $146,333 | $409,640 |
| 50 | Elburn | 60.0 | $127,731 | $448,721 |
| 51 | Bartlett | 60.5 | $133,240 | $430,325 |
| 52 | Wheaton | 61.0 | $120,008 | $501,273 |
| 53 | La Grange Park | 61.5 | $120,408 | $480,916 |
| 54 | Buffalo Grove | 62.0 | $129,395 | $436,990 |
| 55 | Mokena | 62.5 | $123,889 | $443,959 |
| 56 | Algonquin | 64.5 | $134,525 | $406,940 |
| 57 | Vernon Hills | 64.5 | $121,943 | $448,031 |
| 58 | Spring Grove | 65.5 | $134,210 | $406,655 |
| 59 | Sugar Grove | 66.5 | $121,207 | $445,736 |
| 60 | Batavia | 66.5 | $120,056 | $453,319 |
| 61 | Downers Grove | 66.5 | $115,114 | $494,150 |
| 62 | Arlington Heights | 67.5 | $116,723 | $470,944 |
| 63 | Volo | 68.5 | $160,792 | $366,347 |
| 64 | Oswego | 69.0 | $123,792 | $416,737 |
| 65 | St. Charles | 71.0 | $114,300 | $463,142 |
| 66 | Lincolnwood | 72.0 | $109,731 | $542,075 |
| 67 | Shorewood | 74.5 | $122,105 | $403,277 |
| 68 | Manhattan | 76.0 | $128,522 | $385,490 |
| 69 | Itasca | 77.25 | $114,294 | $443,025 |
| 70 | Oak Park | 78.5 | $110,820 | $458,455 |
| 71 | Darien | 79.0 | $111,215 | $449,622 |
| 72 | Johnsburg | 81.0 | $121,023 | $393,344 |
| 73 | Highwood | 82.0 | $107,875 | $467,497 |
| 74 | Morton Grove | 85.0 | $111,116 | $430,051 |
| 75 | South Elgin | 86.5 | $127,203 | $366,631 |
| 76 | North Aurora | 88.0 | $114,305 | $395,207 |
| 77 | Lindenhurst | 90.5 | $131,474 | $347,218 |
| 78 | Channahon | 92.0 | $119,494 | $374,127 |
| 79 | Sherman | 92.0 | $148,906 | $324,533 |
| 80 | Lisle | 92.5 | $107,479 | $425,025 |
| 81 | Lake Villa | 94.0 | $118,750 | $370,653 |
| 82 | Gurnee | 94.5 | $119,628 | $368,528 |
| 83 | Lake In The Hills | 95.5 | $117,151 | $369,917 |
| 84 | Yorkville | 96.5 | $108,513 | $399,862 |
| 85 | Fox River Grove | 96.5 | $121,506 | $351,811 |
| 86 | West Dundee | 98.0 | $105,368 | $411,112 |
| 87 | Flossmoor | 98.0 | $133,663 | $327,345 |
| 88 | Mount Prospect | 98.0 | $101,720 | $433,813 |
| 89 | Bloomingdale | 98.5 | $102,928 | $428,844 |
| 90 | Palos Heights | 98.5 | $108,740 | $389,152 |
| 91 | Pingree Grove | 99.75 | $114,294 | $369,701 |
| 92 | Roselle | 100.0 | $111,318 | $374,677 |
| 93 | Minooka | 100.5 | $115,445 | $364,409 |
| 94 | Cary | 101.5 | $113,026 | $368,572 |
| 95 | Evanston | 102.0 | $96,434 | $470,774 |
| 96 | Olympia Fields | 102.0 | $123,875 | $328,551 |
| 97 | Hoffman Estates | 102.5 | $106,806 | $394,617 |
| 98 | Mundelein | 103.5 | $108,340 | $380,533 |
| 99 | Grayslake | 104.5 | $113,972 | $361,376 |
| 100 | Orland Hills | 104.5 | $122,039 | $327,783 |