Chicago Heights vs Oak Forest
Chicago Heights, Illinois versus Oak Forest, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Oak Forest edges out Chicago Heights on overall objective livability (47 vs 38 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Chicago Heights | Oak Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $57k | $90k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $61k |
| Home Value | $135k | $232k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.94% | 2.86% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.89% | 15.33% |
| Unemployment | 13.8% | 4.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 26°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.1 in | 41.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.2 in | 28.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 86 days | 87 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 75.4 | 70.1 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 83.3 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 5183/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 2667/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 27,366 | 27,199 |
| Median Age | 35.8 | 39.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.70 | 0.41 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 21.2% | 70.3% |
| Black (%) | 39.4% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 36.6% | 14.7% |
| Asian (%) | 0.2% | 5.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.6% | 2.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 12.9/20 | 12.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 20 mi | 13 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 81.3% | 93.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 55.91 | 93.02 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chicago Heights or Oak Forest more affordable?
- Oak Forest has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Chicago Heights's $61k and Oak Forest's $61k. Median rent is $1k in Chicago Heights versus $1k in Oak Forest.
- Is Chicago Heights or Oak Forest safer?
- Oak Forest has the lower violent crime rate. Chicago Heights reports 5183/100k and Oak Forest reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Chicago Heights or Oak Forest?
- The median home value is $135k in Chicago Heights and $232k in Oak Forest, so homes are more affordable in Chicago Heights.