Magazine Touts Glen Ellyn as Great Place to Live

Most Glen Ellyn residents believe they live in a great community.

The publishers of Money Magazine believe that as well, naming the Village of Glen Ellyn the 54^th best place to live in its top 100 American Small Towns list. The publishers touted civic pride as one of the reasons the village is so special.

Money Magazine used statistics from data services company Onboard Informatics to arrive at its list. The criteria began with towns that have a population of 8,500 to 50,000 and examined economic factors such as median income levels, job growth, home affordability, safety, school quality, health care, arts and leisure, diversity, and several ease-of-living criteria.

“Known as the ‘Village of Volunteers,’ this suburb 35 minutes from Chicago is full of civic pride. Residents dedicate time to local government committees and family events, such as cardboard boat races at one of the town’s 31 parks,” the magazine said.

Having a commuter train line running through the town is important for the village because it provides easy access to employment in Chicago, the magazine said.

Money Magazine’s revelation comes as no surprise to Mike Formento, executive director of the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce.

“Glen Ellyn is a very unique little community and we’re delighted they recognize us for that,” Formento said after being informed of the village’s ranking.

Formento said there are three primary reasons people seek to settle in Glen Ellyn – the convenience of a commuter rail line in town, the strong school systems and a strong downtown that’s attractive to entrepreneurs.

“We have a tightly woven community with great citizen input and participation by the business community,” Formento said.

Village Manager Mark Franz called the Money Magazine distinction a “great honor” for the village.

“I think 54^th is a little low though,” he quipped.

In its assessment, Money Magazine listed some of the positive attributes of the community, including low crime rates, a median income of $118,174, a plethora of restaurants and entertainment options, strong schools and strong racial diversity.

As a newcomer to Glen Ellyn, Franz said he agrees with Money’s assessment. During his brief time in Glen Ellyn Franz said he’s been impressed with the number of residents who are active in the community.

“The moniker ‘Village of Volunteers’ is an apt motto for Glen Ellyn,” he said.

Franz, who’s been in Glen Ellyn for about a month, said he carefully researched the village before applying for the position and was impressed with the kind of community Glen Ellyn is. He said the village has great schools, a strong park district and a great library.

“Glen Ellyn is just a great community,” he said. “I think the criteria that Money used is something that’s true for a lot of the people in this town. I think it’s great we’re being recognized for something that people around here already knew.”

Only four Illinois cities made the magazine’s top 100 list. Nearby Carol Stream ranked 49^th, Oswego ranked 58^th and South Elgin ranked 98^th.