25 Safest Places To Live In Illinois For 2026: Ranking

If safety is high on your list when deciding where to live, a ranking gives several Chicago suburbs high marks.

Data and analytics website Niche has released its 2026 rankings of the safest places to live in Illinois, with Clarendon Hills taking the top spot.

Kildeer finished second, followed by Western Springs at No. 3 and Northbrook at No. 4.

The rankings are based on crime rates for murder, assault, rape, burglary and other offenses, along with other crime statistics and resident reviews. Niche says its rankings include communities that earned strong Crime & Safety grades.

The list is dominated by Chicago-area suburbs. Of the top 25 communities, 23 are suburbs of Chicago, while Jerome and Sherman are suburbs of Springfield.

Northbrook's fourth-place finish puts it among the highest-ranked North Shore communities on the list. Lake Bluff came in at No. 6, followed by Kenilworth at No. 7.

Hawthorn Woods, South Barrington, Fox River Grove, Cary and Huntley were among the northwest suburban communities to crack the top 25.

Niche's Crime & Safety grade considers crime rates for murder, assault, rape, burglary and other offenses, as well as reviews from residents.

Here are the 25 safest places to live in Illinois for 2026, according to Niche:

1. Clarendon Hills
2. Kildeer
3. Western Springs
4. Northbrook
5. Tower Lakes
6. Lake Bluff
7. Kenilworth
8. Hawthorn Woods
9. South Barrington
10. Indian Head Park
11. Winfield
12. Itasca
13. Campton Hills
14. Fox River Grove
15. Prairie Grove
16. Lakewood
17. Cary
18. Wayne
19. Jerome
20. Bartlett
21. Palos Park
22. Sherman
23. Bull Valley
24. Pingree Grove
25. Huntley

Niche's rankings are separate from another Illinois safety report released earlier this year by SafeWise.

That analysis named Campton Hills the safest city in Illinois for the third consecutive year, followed by Hawthorn Woods and Pingree Grove. SafeWise based its rankings specifically on FBI violent and property crime data.

The different results reflect the methodologies used by the two organizations. Niche factors resident reviews into its Crime & Safety grades in addition to crime statistics, while SafeWise focuses on reported crime rates.

William Bornhoft, Patch Staff, contributed to this report