Here Are The Best Places To Live In IL, New Ranking Says

If you’re looking for somewhere to call home in Illinois, give a closer look to Clarendon Hills and Naperville, which topped their categories in a new ranking based on quality of life issues released Monday.

Now in its 12th year, the 2026 Best Places to Live ranking from the data-driven platform Niche helps everyone from young people just starting their careers or families to retirees decide where they want to live. The report analyzes places of various sizes.

Chicago Suburb Tops List Of Best Cities To Live In America For 3rd Time In A Row: Niche

The ranking includes 230 cities and 18,000 towns, suburbs and neighborhoods.

Among states overall, Illinois ranks in eighth place. The state’s highest marks were in five categories: outdoor activities, best city to live, best place to raise a family, lowest cost of living and most diverse.

Clarendon Hills ranked No. 1 in the country for the best place to raise a family. Kildeer, Western Springs, Kenilworth, Long Grove and Hinsdale also ranked within the top 20. West Ridge, a neighborhood on Chicago's North Side, ranked within the top 25 most diverse cities.

White Hall, a small town about 70 miles north of St. Louis, took the 47th spot for lowest cost of living in America. Chicago and Naperville ranked among the top 50 cities for outdoor activities, a category in which Seattle took the gold.

Naperville, Illinois, is the best city in America for the third consecutive year, according to Niche’s rankings. Rounding out the top five were Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Woodlands, Texas; Arlington, Virginia; and Bellevue, Washington, respectively. Chicago came in 63rd place.

The top five places to live are Atlantic Station, Georgia; Colonial Village, Virginia; Evergreen Park, California; Downtown North, California; and Clarendon Hills, Illinois, respectively.

The rankings are based on a wide range of public data sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with millions of resident reviews.

Niche said this year's top-ranked places are smaller, walkable communities within major metro areas, giving residents access to jobs, amenities, and transit while maintaining connected neighborhoods. Many have populations under 15,000, as demand grows for places that balance urban convenience with neighborhood livability.

“People are increasingly looking for neighborhoods that offer both access to diverse career opportunities and a strong sense of community,” Allison Shrivatava, an economist at Niche, said in a news release. “These smaller, walkable communities provide the mix of amenities and livability that families and young professionals both value.”

Many of these communities are located near major economic hubs, including Silicon Valley and large Northeast metros, where robust job markets and high-quality public schools continue to attract residents.

The traditional divide between places for young professionals and families is narrowing, with many communities now ranking highly across both categories. Niche said its 2026 rankings show how quickly preferences are evolving — driven by affordability pressures and demand for dining, entertainment, and walkability.

“Every life stage brings a new set of priorities, and our goal with these rankings is to help make the decision of where to live a lot easier,” Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in the release. “Whether you’re a young professional, raising a family, or planning your next move, Niche gives you a clear, data-driven picture of what a community actually offers.”