Rockford, the largest city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropolitan area, is the fifth-largest city in the state and the 171st most populous in the United States. The largest municipality by population is Chicago with 2,746,388 residents, while the smallest by population is Valley City with 14 residents. The largest municipality by land area is Chicago, which covers 227.73 square miles (589.8 km), while the smallest is Irwin with 0.045 square miles (0.12 km). From big cities and sprawling suburbs to historic towns and small communities, there's sure to be something to fit your agenda.
Recent graduates can choose between established or growing economies, and families will have a wide variety of school districts in the best cities in Illinois. As for travelers, there's no shortage of memories to create, when exploring the historic capital of Springfield or strolling along Chicago's Magnificent Mile. After school and work, all residents enjoy exploring Buffalo Grove. The quiet neighborhood has beautiful architecture, leafy streets, and lush parks.
The 40,000 locals also make the most of the city's summer festivals. Compared to the rest of the state, local unemployment is low and the median wage is strong. With a population of around 40,000 people, Crystal Lake straddles the line between a small town and a big city. It has the characteristics that both offer a charming, family-friendly neighborhood with excellent outdoor opportunities, as well as job opportunities in a growing market and fun for the entire city.
Crystal Lake will appeal to families and retirees looking for a great place to raise their children or enjoy a quiet, close-knit community. There are a multitude of smaller neighborhoods that will place you near schools, a large number of parks, or The Village. The latter has the downtown district, with great shopping, entertainment and family fun. While the Crystal Lake Park District has 40 parks for outdoor fun, sports, and community events.
About an hour northeast of Springfield, the state capital, Bloomington-National offers locals a rich urban environment at a low cost. Bloomington is a historic city and is often referred to as the Eternal City thanks to its proximity to Evergreen Lake. With a population of around 75,000, Schaumburg is on our list thanks to its exceptional education and incredibly low crime rate. Schaumburg is a northwestern suburb of downtown Chicago and has a strong middle-class environment, but the average cost of housing belies this assumption.
Schaumburg presents itself as a great place for young families. The cost of housing can help you break through, and the neighborhood is among the top ten places in Illinois for child care places. For leisure, Schaumburg is home to the Legoland Discovery Center and the Water Works indoor water park. The close-knit community is renowned for its friendliness, with great local restaurants and some lovely public parks.
Two hours south of Chicago, Champaign-Urbana is the combination of two different cities that merge to create a varied experience for locals and travelers. Life here revolves around agriculture and Champaign-Urbana is also the base of the University of Illinois. The “strange couple” of university town and farmland means that you'll be able to enjoy a solid economy with all the entertainment, arts and culture that the university has to offer. The cost of living in Champaign-Urbana is around 20% lower than the national average.
When it comes to housing, the average cost of buying a home is less than half the national average. Residents can then enjoy a thriving art scene and community life with Champaign-Urbana. It's a small urban oasis surrounded by endless fields, with the Spurlock Museum and the Plaza Market as main attractions. As the capital of the state of Illinois, Springfield regularly appears on the radar of those on the move.
After Rockford, Springfield, with a population of around 115,000 people, is the largest city outside the Chicago metropolitan area. In the northwestern corner of Illinois, Galena is home to captivating 19th-century architecture. Located on the Galena River, which flows into nearby Mississippi, Galena is an adorable little town with only a few thousand inhabitants. The rich main streets are lined with unspoiled buildings that offer a glimpse of life in the 19th century, when Galena was the home of Ulysses S.
Grant and eight Civil War generals. For those looking to retire in Illinois, Galena is a popular choice. The city has a strong tourist industry, but it remains quiet all year round, with plenty of things to do, such as exploring the Ulysses S. Grant Home while enjoying a low cost of living.
Headquartered on the tributary of the mighty Mississippi River, Rockford has grown to become the most populous city beyond the greater Chicago area. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Rockford's site on the Rock River attracted major companies to the area and became a manufacturing and machinery powerhouse. Today, it's a vibrant and modern city. Due to its 19th-century historic past, there are also many historic and architectural jewels in Rockford, such as the Lake-Peterson House, along with a fascinating natural history museum.
With a population of more than 2.5 million people, Chicago is by far the largest city in Illinois. But for such a large metropolis, the cost of living, especially in relation to housing, is below what one would expect. Its award-winning park district, the largest and oldest in Illinois, oversees 9,000 acres of parks such as Glen Oak Park, a 19th-century park with a botanical garden, a children's museum and the Peoria Zoo. Still, you'll find everything from safe, family-friendly suburbs and small towns surrounded by nature and recreation to exciting urban areas.
As part of the greater Chicago region and one of the largest cities in the state, Naperville is the best option for those who want to be close to the Windy City. Here's a look at the largest cities in Illinois with key information and demographics from U.S. Census data. UU.
It also houses the offices of many Fortune 500 companies, with many technology startups that have made it the center of Illinois's Silicon Prairie. Summer and fall can be wonderful times to visit Illinois, but for residents of the Prairies State, living here gives them full time access to the state's rich history, architecture, and nature. After Chicago, home to more than 2.6 million people, no other city in Illinois has more than 200,000 people. Home to the third largest city in the United States, Chicago, in addition to the immortal shadow of Abraham Lincoln, there are plenty of reasons to travel here or call it home.
Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and the seventh largest municipality by population. It is also one of the most important cities in Illinois for its industrial and entertainment sectors. Get a spreadsheet with the latest population, income, housing demographics, and more for all cities in Illinois. .
