CHICAGO — Data and analytics website Niche has released its 2026 Crime and Safety grades for suburbs across the Chicago area.
The grades are based on crime rates for murder, assault, rape, burglary and other offenses, along with reviews from residents. Niche's Chicago-area Safe Suburbs report includes 173 communities across the metropolitan region and only includes suburbs that earned what the website describes as strong Crime & Safety grades.
Because Niche's definition of the Chicago metropolitan area extends into Indiana, its original list includes several Northwest Indiana communities. For this Illinois-focused list, Patch is including only the Illinois suburbs.
Here are the Illinois communities included in the report, grouped by their Crime and Safety grade:
Tower Lakes
Bull Valley
Clarendon Hills
Hawthorn Woods
South Barrington
Indian Head Park
Campton Hills
Fox River Grove
Prairie Grove
Lakewood
Cary
Wayne
Palos Park
Golf
Kildeer
Western Springs
Northbrook
Lake Bluff
Kenilworth
Winfield
Itasca
Bartlett
Pingree Grove
Huntley
Willow Springs
Elburn
Spring Grove
Round Lake Heights
Johnsburg
Rockdale
Riverside
Lincolnshire
Bannockburn
Lake Forest
Libertyville
Glen Ellyn
Riverwoods
Wheaton
Deerfield
Northfield
Burr Ridge
Lake Zurich
Westmont
Orland Hills
Lake Villa
Sleepy Hollow
Bloomingdale
Algonquin
Lindenhurst
Lake in the Hills
Minooka
Richmond
Sugar Grove
Island Lake
Wonder Lake
Forest View
Hampshire
East Hazel Crest
Stone Park
Naperville
Buffalo Grove
La Grange
Hinsdale
River Forest
Wilmette
La Grange Park
Highland Park
Lisle
Oak Brook
Elmhurst
Park Ridge
Morton Grove
Arlington Heights
Geneva
Winnetka
Inverness
Grayslake
Glencoe
Warrenville
Batavia
Darien
Flossmoor
Hoffman Estates
Niles
Gilberts
Frankfort
Oswego
Crystal Lake
Hodgkins
South Elgin
Elk Grove Village
Glendale Heights
East Dundee
Shorewood
Wauconda
New Lenox
Woodstock
North Aurora
Yorkville
Homer Glen
Antioch
Palos Heights
Channahon
Manhattan
Wood Dale
Round Lake Park
Justice
Stickney
Berkeley
Vernon Hills
Glenview
Willowbrook
Downers Grove
Schaumburg
Rolling Meadows
Barrington
Woodridge
Brookfield
Mount Prospect
Lincolnwood
Countryside
Oakbrook Terrace
Lombard
St. Charles
North Riverside
Mundelein
Plainfield
Carol Stream
Harwood Heights
Orland Park
Des Plaines
Roselle
West Dundee
Prospect Heights
Lemont
Highwood
Mokena
Hanover Park
Hometown
Oak Forest
Norridge
Hainesville
Elmwood Park
Tinley Park
Lockport
Westchester
River Grove
Palos Hills
Carpentersville
Olympia Fields
Montgomery
Hickory Hills
Addison
Crete
Broadview
Bensenville
Plano
Monee
Hillside
Posen
McCook
Niche's list stops at communities receiving strong Crime and Safety grades rather than extending through C- and D-range grades. The company's broader Chicago-area database contains substantially more suburbs than the 173 included in its Safe Suburbs report.
The Crime and Safety grade is also separate from a community's overall Niche grade. For example, Niche currently gives Naperville an A-plus overall grade but a B for Crime and Safety, while Northbrook has an A-plus overall grade and an A-minus for Crime and Safety.
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