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.

Down paymentRate%

Proviso Township$2,030/mo

Typical home $284K (Census) · tax rate 2.28% · or rent about $1,268/mo · Housing →

River Forest$4,770/mo

Typical home $738K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.46%+ · or rent about $1,554/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,740 a month, about $32,900 a year, between River Forest and Proviso Township.

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; “+” means the Census top-codes that town’s bill at $10,000, so its real rate is higher.

Report cards

River Forest places higher on 12 of 19 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

–Proviso TownshipNot graded C+River ForestSafer than 43% of U.S. towns

Schools

DProviso TownshipBetter than 11% of districts in the state –River ForestNot graded

Health

B+Proviso TownshipHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns A+River ForestHealthier than 99% of U.S. towns

7Proviso Township

12River Forest

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #758#26 Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #621#181 Most activeHealth · 861 towns #512#10 Highest incomeIncome · 862 towns #421#56 HealthiestHealth · 861 towns #373#9 Most educatedPeople · 862 towns #380#22 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #397#152 Most remote workersWork · 849 towns #275#42

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

Where they are

Proviso Township and River Forest share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Proviso TownshipRiver Forest

Proviso Township ↔ River Forest3.4 miles apart · They share a border

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

Proviso TownshipRiver Forest

Snow a year42″42″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)71st 69th

Outdoors & history

Proviso TownshipRiver Forest

Trails23 mi 7 mi

Conserved land3.1%1.9%

Settled1850 —

National Register places1 5

Archive photos—15

Famous people born here1 13

Community

Proviso TownshipRiver Forest

Library hours a week69 hrs 67 hrs

Colleges in town—2

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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.

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.

Only big differences vs Illinois average

Proviso TownshipRiver Forest

People

Population 147,690Highest 11,992Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.3%Lowest +4.9%Highest

Median age 40.3±1Highest 3% above IL 40±3Lowest about the IL average

Proviso Township and River Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 22.2%±1.2Lowest IL: 21.8% 24.5%±3.2Highest IL: 21.8%

River Forest and Proviso Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.5%±0.8Lowest IL: 17% 18.8%±2.9Highest IL: 17%

River Forest and Proviso Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.5%Lowest IL: 37.8% 72.9%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.5%±0.6Lowest IL: 6.3% 11.5%±2.5Highest IL: 6.3%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $82,097±$3kLowest about the IL average $146,786±$33kHighest 76% above IL

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $284,000±$5kLowest 8% above IL $687,300±$64kHighest 161% above IL

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,268±$38Lowest about the IL average $1,554±$269Highest 22% above IL

River Forest and Proviso Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $6,477Lowest 22% above IL $10,000+Highest at least 89% above IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.1%±4.4Lowest IL: 47.9% 88.9%±13.3Highest IL: 47.9%

Below poverty line 10.1%Highest IL: 11.8% 2.7%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 69.3%Lowest IL: 67.1% 87.7%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1955Highest 16 yrs older than IL 1946Lowest 25 yrs older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minLowest 3% above IL 33 minHighest 17% above IL

Work from home 13.7%±1.4Lowest IL: 15.9% 26.8%±4.6Highest IL: 15.9%

Work in townworking residents 13.4%Highest 4.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 9.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.16Highest 0.85Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (30%)Chicago (46%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in River ForestFew work in Proviso Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Highest 1.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 22.8 miHighest 7.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miLowest 2.8 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 57Highest 14Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 97.2Highest 87.9Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #316 of 384 in IL—

School district Proviso Area Exceptional Child · Region 06 West Cook ISC 2—

High school in town Proviso West High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 16.8 —

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.

Proviso Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Proviso Township’s Town Square.

River Forest neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in River Forest can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Proviso Township and River Forest

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Proviso Township

+ Compare

River Forest Township11,992 people · $687K homes

+ Compare

Lyons Township112,613 people · $364K homes

+ Compare

York Township127,667 people · $397K homes

+ Compare

Maywood23,201 people · $230K homes

Towns like Proviso Township

+ Compare

Worth Township149,419 people · $250K homes

+ Compare

Elgin Township104,350 people · $282K homes

+ Compare

Elgin114,934 people · $273K homes

+ Compare

Addison Township87,658 people · $342K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Illinois towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Proviso Township vs River Forest

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $2,740 more a month in River Forest

River Forest places higher on 12 of 19 IL lists

Proviso Township and River Forest share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Proviso Township and River Forest

Bordering Proviso Township

Towns like Proviso Township

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