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Compare towns

Riverside vs River Forest

4 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5.9× in River Forest) and home values (+40% in River Forest).

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Riverside, ILHomes around $566KIllinois · 9,039 people
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River Forest, ILHomes around $738KIllinois · 11,992 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.

RiversideHomes around $566K
Housing$566K typical home90% above the IL typical home Outdoors#48 most walkable in IL1.2 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 98%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Riverside →
River ForestHomes around $738K
Housing$738K typical home148% above the IL typical home Outdoors#6 most trails in IL7.1 miles of trails across 14 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 99%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about River Forest →
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.

Trails5.9×
River Forest has more miles of trail
River Forest 7.1 miRiverside 1.2 mi
Home values+40%
Homes cost more in River Forest
River Forest $687,300Riverside $491,400
Jobs per worker2.7×
River Forest is more of a job hub
River Forest 0.85Riverside 0.32
In college+8.9 pts
River Forest is more of a college town
River Forest 11.5%Riverside 2.6%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $840 more a month in River Forest

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.

Riverside$3,920/mo
Typical home $566K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.04%+ · or rent about $1,484/mo · Housing →
River Forest$4,770/mo
Typical home $738K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.46%+ · or rent about $1,554/mo · Housing →

The difference: $840 a month, about $10,100 a year, between River Forest and Riverside.

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 14 of 22 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
–RiversideNot graded C+River ForestSafer than 43% of U.S. towns
Health
A+RiversideHealthier than 98% of U.S. towns A+River ForestHealthier than 99% of U.S. towns
7Riverside
14River Forest

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #234#6 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #306#584 Most new homesHousing · 431 towns #378#315 Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #48#150 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 862 towns #138#43 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #87#26 Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #138#181 Most library borrowingLibraries · 262 towns #39#26

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Riverside’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
RiversideRiver Forest
Snow a year42″42″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)72nd69th
Outdoors & history
RiversideRiver Forest
Trails1 mi7 mi
Conserved land5.3%1.9%
Settled1875—
National Register places65
Archive photos2715
Famous people born here1513
Community
RiversideRiver Forest
Library hours a week65 hrs67 hrs
Colleges in town—2
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined11

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

4 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RiversideRiver ForestRiversideRiver Forest
Riverside ↔ River Forest4.4 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.

RiversideRiver Forest
People
Population 9,039Lowest 11,992Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.8%Lowest +4.9%Highest
Median age 42±4.9Highest 8% above IL 40±3Lowest about the IL average
Riverside and River Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 26.1%±5.1Highest IL: 21.8% 24.5%±3.2Lowest IL: 21.8%
Riverside and River Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.7%±4.3Highest IL: 17% 18.8%±2.9Lowest IL: 17%
Riverside and River Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 72.5%Lowest IL: 37.8% 72.9%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±1Lowest IL: 6.3% 11.5%±2.5Highest IL: 6.3%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $153,686±$19kHighest 84% above IL $146,786±$33kLowest 76% above IL
Riverside and River Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $491,400±$32kLowest 87% above IL $687,300±$64kHighest 161% above IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,484±$214Lowest 16% above IL $1,554±$269Highest 22% above IL
River Forest and Riverside are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $10,000+ at least 89% above IL $10,000+ at least 89% above IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.5%±15.2Lowest IL: 47.9% 88.9%±13.3Highest IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line 3.3%Highest IL: 11.8% 2.7%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84.8%Lowest IL: 67.1% 87.7%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 33 yrs older than IL 1946Highest 25 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 33 min 17% above IL 33 min 17% above IL
Work from home 28.3%±6.6Highest IL: 15.9% 26.8%±4.6Lowest IL: 15.9%
Riverside and River Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.9%Lowest 4.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 9.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.32Lowest 0.85Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (39%)Chicago (46%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in River ForestFew work in Riverside
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.3%Highest 1.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miLowest 7.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 2.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 14Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 115Highest 87.9Lowest
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.

Riverside neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Riverside can answer.

River Forest neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in River Forest can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Riverside and River Forest

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

Bordering Riverside

+ Compare
Lyons10,339 people · $257K homes
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Riverside Township16,242 people · $415K homes
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North Riverside7,249 people · $298K homes
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Lyons Township112,613 people · $364K homes

Towns like Riverside

+ Compare
Clarendon Hills8,659 people · $606K homes
+ Compare
River Forest Township11,992 people · $687K homes
+ Compare
Barrington11,077 people · $583K homes
+ Compare
La Grange15,998 people · $594K 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.

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