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Northlake vs Lyons

8 miles apart. The biggest differences: work from home (+10.8 pts in Lyons) and jobs per worker (2.3× in Northlake).

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Northlake, ILOne of the healthiest townsIllinois · 12,513 people
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Lyons, ILAn outdoors townIllinois · 10,339 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

NorthlakeOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 55%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#176 most walkable in IL1.8 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves All about Northlake →
LyonsAn outdoors town
Outdoors#148 most trails in IL2.0 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 61%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Lyons →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Work from home+10.8 pts
More people work from home in Lyons
Lyons 19.2%Northlake 8.4%
Jobs per worker2.3×
Northlake is more of a job hub
Northlake 1.42Lyons 0.63
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Northlake

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Northlake$2,240/mo
Typical home $312K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.31% · or rent about $1,123/mo · Housing →
Lyons$1,850/mo
Typical home $257K (Census) · tax rate 2.34% · or rent about $1,198/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,600 a year, between Northlake and Lyons.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Lyons places higher on 11 of 21 IL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
B−NorthlakeSafer than 50% of U.S. towns –LyonsNot graded
Health
B−NorthlakeHealthier than 55% of U.S. towns BLyonsHealthier than 61% of U.S. towns
9Northlake
11Lyons

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most remote workersWork · 849 towns #554#134 Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #411#604 Most activeHealth · 861 towns #776#582 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #470#658 Lowest depressionHealth · 861 towns #42#213 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 862 towns #285#128 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 297 towns #144#198 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #174#327

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Northlake’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
NorthlakeLyons
Snow a year42″42″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)75th80th
Outdoors & history
NorthlakeLyons
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land3%1.2%
Settled—1888
National Register places—2
Archive photos15
Famous people born here—2
Community
NorthlakeLyons
Library hours a week67 hrs55 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

8 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

NorthlakeLyonsNorthlakeLyons
Northlake ↔ Lyons8.4 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

NorthlakeLyons
People
Population 12,513Highest 10,339Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.2%Highest +0.8%Lowest
Median age 41.9±3.8Highest 7% above IL 40.8±3.2Lowest 5% above IL
Northlake and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.4%±2.9Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.2%±4.7Highest IL: 21.8%
Lyons and Northlake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.9%±2.7Highest IL: 17% 18.8%±4.9Lowest IL: 17%
Northlake and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.9%Lowest IL: 37.8% 18.4%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.3%±3.5Highest IL: 6.3% 6.4%±2.3Lowest IL: 6.3%
Northlake and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $83,892±$12kHighest about the IL average $70,993±$13kLowest 15% below IL
Northlake and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $259,800±$8kHighest about the IL average $257,300±$25kLowest about the IL average
Northlake and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,123±$149Lowest 12% below IL $1,198±$90Highest 6% below IL
Lyons and Northlake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,005Lowest 13% above IL $6,016Highest 14% above IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.7%±11.4Lowest IL: 47.9% 50.7%±9.6Highest IL: 47.9%
Lyons and Northlake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.9%Lowest IL: 11.8% 14%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.6%Highest IL: 67.1% 64.2%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1957Lowest 14 yrs older than IL 1959Highest 12 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minHighest about the IL average 28 minLowest about the IL average
Work from home 8.4%±2.8Lowest IL: 15.9% 19.2%±6.6Highest IL: 15.9%
Work in townworking residents 4.8%Highest 3.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 10.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.42Highest 0.63Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (22%)Chicago (28%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LyonsFew work in Northlake
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3%Highest 1.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.8 miLowest 2.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 0.9 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 10 10
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 84.5Lowest 87.5Highest
Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Northlake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Northlake’s Town Square.

Lyons neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lyons’s Town Square.

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Bordering Northlake

+ Compare
Melrose Park24,549 people · $276K homes
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Franklin Park18,197 people · $287K homes
S
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Stone Park4,482 people · $242K homes
B
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Berkeley5,199 people · $247K homes

Towns like Northlake

C
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Cincinnati Township8,797 people · $179K homes
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Bridgeview16,849 people · $236K homes
J
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Jersey Township9,924 people · $169K homes
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Midlothian13,948 people · $207K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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