Downers Grove Ranked Among Most Family Friendly Cities in Illinois

Credit: Movoto

Downers Grove is among Movoto.com’s list of top 10 best places for families in Illinois for 2014.

The real estate blog took a look at the state’s 50 most populated towns, ranking them using the following criteria:

• GreatSchools score (the higher the better)
• High school graduation rate (the higher the better)
• Percent of households with children (the higher the better)
• Crimes per 100,000 people (the lower the better)
• Cost of living (the lower the better)
• Unemployment rate (the lower the better)
• Commute time (the lower the better)
• Childcare facilities and providers per capita (the higher the better)
• Parks per capita (the higher the better)

Downers Grove came in at No. 8, just behind Buffalo Grove and Wheaton.

“The only real downer in this community seems to be the cost of living—a 112 whereas the national average was 100. But hey, you get what you pay for, and in Downers Grove they’re getting a whole lot of awesome. First instance of awesome: the education. Downers Grove had a high school graduation rate of 95 percent, plus a nine out of 10 for its schools. It also had an unemployment rate of just 5.40 percent. Perhaps best of all (for parents, anyway), this place had some of the most babysitters and daycares per capita.”

Check out the entire top 10 list:

1. Village of Oak Park
2. Village of Glenview
3. City of Naperville
4. City of Elmhurst
5. Village of Plainfield
6. City of Wheaton
7. Village of Buffalo Grove
8. Village of Downers Grove
9. City of Schaumburg
10. City of Park Ridge