Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Highland Park, IL

    Is Highland Park a good place to live?

    Watch Highland Park

    Highland Park ranks #10 of 87 Illinois cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (73/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.1% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $594,400
    +0.2% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,903
    per month
    Household income
    $161,875
    median
    Unemployment
    3.3%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Highland Park

    The median home value in Highland Park is $594,400 and median rent is $1,903 a month, against a median household income of $161,875. Homes cost about 3.7× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Highland Park crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Illinois the 2025 rate was 258 violent and 1,556 property crimes per 100,000 people — #24 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Highland Park, IL

    Highland Park has about 30,229 residents, 3.3% unemployment and 39% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Highland Park with

    Highland Park vs ChicagoHighland Park vs AuroraHighland Park vs JolietHighland Park vs NapervilleHighland Park vs RockfordHighland Park vs ElginHighland Park vs SpringfieldHighland Park vs Peoria

    More: Where to move in Illinois · Best counties in Illinois

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report