Darien's Affordable Housing Increases In Last 5 Years

DARIEN, IL – Darien has increased its affordable housing by nearly 300 units in the last five years, according to state figures.

Last year, Darien had 1,835 affordable housing units out of a total of 8,770 units, according to an Illinois Housing Development Authority report.

That works out to 20.9 percent, up from 17.9 percent in 2018. Last year's rate compares to 2.1 percent in Western Springs, 3.7 percent in Hinsdale and 4.5 percent in Burr Ridge.

Overall, Darien has 20 more total units than it did a decade ago.

Of more than 1,300 towns in Illinois, Burr Ridge ranks as having the 85th lowest rate of affordable housing, the state report said. As of 2022, the median price for a Darien housing unit was $381,000, a little over DuPage County's $362,000.

Under state law, any town with less than 10 percent affordable housing must submit a plan to the state. Because of Darien's 20.9 percent, it does not fall under the mandate.

To determine affordable housing rates, the state calculates the number of owner-occupied units that are affordable to households with incomes less than 80 percent of a metro area's median. The threshold is less than 60 percent for rental units.

Here are the percentages of affordable housing in selected towns over the last decade:

Here are the numbers of affordable housing units out of the total units in selected towns over the last decade:

n.a.: not available

Source: Illinois Housing Development Authority