The 10 Best Naperville Suburbs To Live In For 2023


The best Naperville suburbs are Western Springs and Hinsdale for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science.

While big cities like Naperville offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.

With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Naperville. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Naperville without actually having to be in the city.

Of course, not all suburbs of Naperville are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Naperville area.

Here are the 10 best suburbs to live around Naperville for 2023:

  1. Western Springs
  2. Hinsdale
  3. La Grange
  4. Riverside
  5. Park Ridge
  6. Inverness
  7. Deer Park
  8. Wayne
  9. South Barrington
  10. Geneva

What’s the best suburb of Naperville? Western Springs ranks as the best suburb of Naperville for 2023 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Western Springs, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Naperville ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Illinois:


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Best Naperville Suburbs To Live For 2023

Western Springs, IL

Source: Wikipedia User MrHarman | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,550
Median Income: $196,638
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 2.3%
More on Western Springs: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Western Springs is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Naperville area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Western Springs.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $196,638 a year, which is the 3rd highest in the Naperville region. And only 2.83% are out of work. Homes average more than $623,400 each.

Hinsdale, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Teemu08 at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 17,148
Median Income: $224,185
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 1.6%
More on Hinsdale: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Hinsdale is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Naperville for 2023.

It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 2.38% of residents lack insurance, good for 25th best.

La Grange, IL

Source: Wikipedia User MrHarman | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 16,220
Median Income: $124,292
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 3.7%
More on La Grange: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Here in La Grange, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Naperville metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in La Grange.

Riverside, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Nmaviano | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 9,346
Median Income: $128,808
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%
Poverty Rate: 2.7%
More on Riverside: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Riverside ranks as the 4th best suburb of Naperville for 2023.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Riverside and the schools are some of the best around.

Park Ridge, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Brett Clark, APR | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 39,562
Median Income: $124,535
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 4.0%
More on Park Ridge: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Coming in as the fifth best is Park Ridge.

Park Ridge gets kudos for having the 17th most expensive homes in the Naperville area, where houses sell for an average of $458,600. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Inverness, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Neva O’Laughlin | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 7,684
Median Income: $190,458
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Poverty Rate: 2.4%
More on Inverness: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Inverness is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 2.27%.

According to online reports, Inverness is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Naperville area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,638
Median Income: $165,625
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
Poverty Rate: 1.5%
More on Deer Park: Data | Real Estate

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Deer Park.

Deer Park schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 29.1 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Wayne, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Otherbeach (talk)BJS | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,548
Median Income: $143,750
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 0.6%
More on Wayne: Data | Real Estate

Wayne is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 3.53% of people lack insurance, good for 47th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 5,012
Median Income: $198,388
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.0%
More on South Barrington: Data | Real Estate

Is ‘Everything Better In South Barrington?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Geneva, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Jauerback | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 21,472
Median Income: $126,759
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 2.4%
More on Geneva: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

And rounding out the top ten for 2023 is Geneva.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Naperville for 2023

Figuring out the best suburbs around Naperville was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2017-2021 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Naperville.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 160 suburbs to evaluate around Naperville.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 160 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Naperville.” We’re lookin’ at you, Western Springs.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2023. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Naperville suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Naperville ‘Burbs of 2023

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Naperville but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more Illinois reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Naperville Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Western Springs, IL 13,550 $196,638
2 Hinsdale, IL 17,148 $224,185
3 La Grange, IL 16,220 $124,292
4 Riverside, IL 9,346 $128,808
5 Park Ridge, IL 39,562 $124,535
6 Inverness, IL 7,684 $190,458
7 Deer Park, IL 3,638 $165,625
8 Wayne, IL 2,548 $143,750
9 South Barrington, IL 5,012 $198,388
10 Geneva, IL 21,472 $126,759
11 River Forest, IL 11,742 $129,263
12 Winfield, IL 9,852 $131,218
13 Wheaton, IL 53,762 $108,737
14 Mokena, IL 19,897 $114,455
15 Glen Ellyn, IL 28,506 $124,754
16 La Grange Park, IL 13,501 $102,034
17 New Lenox, IL 26,942 $118,817
18 Barrington, IL 11,174 $126,250
19 Clarendon Hills, IL 8,707 $107,375
20 Elmhurst, IL 45,661 $128,355
21 Campton Hills, IL 10,468 $183,050
22 Frankfort, IL 20,040 $145,645
23 Lemont, IL 17,535 $119,750
24 Oak Park, IL 54,100 $98,081
25 Gilberts, IL 8,220 $101,298
26 Batavia, IL 26,261 $109,146
27 Barrington Hills, IL 4,236 $185,446
28 Burr Ridge, IL 11,167 $148,214
29 Glenview, IL 48,150 $123,771
30 Arlington Heights, IL 77,283 $106,996
31 Palos Park, IL 4,859 $122,676
32 Itasca, IL 9,623 $109,146
33 Elburn, IL 5,981 $99,877
34 Willowbrook, IL 9,178 $92,202
35 Plainfield, IL 44,296 $134,814
36 Downers Grove, IL 50,209 $105,217
37 Palos Heights, IL 12,116 $101,037
38 Oswego, IL 34,324 $106,790
39 Oak Brook, IL 8,178 $146,409
40 Brookfield, IL 19,517 $90,083
41 Sleepy Hollow, IL 3,234 $127,545
42 Sugar Grove, IL 9,266 $109,331
43 Pingree Grove, IL 9,734 $98,299
44 Shorewood, IL 17,947 $111,560
45 Bartlett, IL 41,126 $114,121
46 Manhattan, IL 9,366 $112,706
47 Lisle, IL 23,982 $102,676
48 Darien, IL 22,087 $104,226
49 St. Charles, IL 32,908 $106,069
50 Indian Head Park, IL 4,059 $93,398
51 Westchester, IL 16,837 $94,151
52 Morton Grove, IL 25,004 $91,389
53 Evergreen Park, IL 19,884 $85,328
54 Yorkville, IL 20,503 $105,129
55 Homer Glen, IL 24,664 $120,306
56 Mount Prospect, IL 56,510 $92,477
57 West Dundee, IL 7,797 $99,734
58 Willow Springs, IL 5,874 $98,860
59 Lombard, IL 44,311 $89,079
60 Minooka, IL 12,412 $105,905
61 Schaumburg, IL 78,053 $85,147
62 Algonquin, IL 29,869 $115,346
63 Villa Park, IL 22,755 $85,173
64 Roselle, IL 23,000 $94,589
65 Woodridge, IL 34,161 $91,399
66 Lincolnwood, IL 13,358 $95,650
67 Westmont, IL 24,632 $76,534
68 Hoffman Estates, IL 52,153 $96,274
69 South Elgin, IL 23,749 $112,115
70 Orland Park, IL 58,622 $89,491
71 Flossmoor, IL 9,868 $126,085
72 Norridge, IL 15,294 $80,911
73 Channahon, IL 13,694 $105,156
74 Lockport, IL 26,070 $96,481
75 Tinley Park, IL 55,988 $87,864
76 Oak Forest, IL 27,445 $81,288
77 Bloomingdale, IL 22,436 $87,324
78 Carol Stream, IL 39,895 $95,342
79 Orland Hills, IL 6,914 $93,162
80 North Riverside, IL 7,382 $59,882
81 Harwood Heights, IL 8,978 $74,577
82 Skokie, IL 67,444 $80,543
83 Olympia Fields, IL 4,949 $95,946
84 Palatine, IL 67,754 $86,415
85 Elmwood Park, IL 24,517 $68,833
86 Streamwood, IL 39,736 $88,824
87 Forest Park, IL 14,297 $72,827
88 Berkeley, IL 5,314 $73,812
89 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 2,681 $60,761
90 Sandwich, IL 7,182 $75,115
91 Homewood, IL 19,716 $81,940
92 Montgomery, IL 20,084 $100,911
93 Niles, IL 30,971 $69,081
94 Bolingbrook, IL 73,807 $97,371
95 Des Plaines, IL 60,413 $79,453
96 North Aurora, IL 17,892 $88,727
97 Morris, IL 14,601 $65,911
98 Elwood, IL 2,500 $76,339
99 Wood Dale, IL 14,034 $80,079
100 Rolling Meadows, IL 24,300 $81,601
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.