New Lenox vs Oak Forest
New Lenox, 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.
New Lenox and Oak Forest score about the same overall (45 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | New Lenox | Oak Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $130k | $90k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $61k |
| Home Value | $357k | $232k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.41% | 2.86% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.55% | 15.33% |
| Unemployment | 2.8% | 4.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.1 in | 41.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 16.9 in | 28.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 89 days | 87 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 58.7 | 70.1 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 71.4 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 440/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 888/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 27,242 | 27,199 |
| Median Age | 37.0 | 39.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.15 | 0.41 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.07 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 90.3% | 70.3% |
| Black (%) | 0.7% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.0% | 14.7% |
| Asian (%) | 0.7% | 5.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 2.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 33 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 8.9/20 | 12.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 22 mi | 13 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 93.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 43.32 | 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 New Lenox or Oak Forest more affordable?
- Oak Forest has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with New Lenox's $61k and Oak Forest's $61k. Median rent is $1k in New Lenox versus $1k in Oak Forest.
- Is New Lenox or Oak Forest safer?
- Oak Forest has the lower violent crime rate. New Lenox reports 440/100k and Oak Forest reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in New Lenox or Oak Forest?
- The median home value is $357k in New Lenox and $232k in Oak Forest, so homes are more affordable in Oak Forest.