These Are The 10 Most Successful Cities In Illinois

Top 10 Most Successful Cities in Illinois for 2026

Success can be defined in various ways. Is it the wealth reflected in your bank account, the satisfaction from delivering a remarkable presentation, or perhaps the joy of sharing a good laugh with friends? The true essence of success is often subjective and complex.

At Zippia, we prefer to quantify success through measurable data. Using statistical analysis, we’ve identified the 10 most successful cities in Illinois for 2026. Here’s our updated list:

If you’re questioning the validity of our list, stick around to understand our methodology.

For more insights on Illinois, explore:

How We Determined the Most Successful Cities in Illinois

When defining success, many think of financial wealth. However, we believe that true success encompasses more than just monetary value. Our analysis utilized data from the latest American Community Survey, focusing on key indicators such as income, poverty rate, and employment statistics.

1. Winnetka

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 12,366
Median Income: $207,540
Poverty Rate: 1.8%
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%

2. Oak Brook

Population: 7,967
Median Income: $148,173
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%

3. Western Springs

Population: 13,066
Median Income: $140,361
Poverty Rate: 0.9%
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%

4. Gilberts

Population: 7,256
Median Income: $108,352
Poverty Rate: 0.0%
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%

5. Wilmette

Population: 27,345
Median Income: $126,471
Poverty Rate: 2.7%
Unemployment Rate: 4.3%

6. Glencoe

Population: 8,824
Median Income: $171,250
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%

7. Northbrook

Population: 33,396
Median Income: $115,085
Poverty Rate: 3.4%
Unemployment Rate: 5.4%

8. Northfield

Population: 5,332
Median Income: $102,424
Poverty Rate: 3.5%
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%

9. Deerfield

Population: 18,476
Median Income: $135,754
Poverty Rate: 2.6%
Unemployment Rate: 5.8%

10. Sugar Grove

Population: 9,096
Median Income: $103,609
Poverty Rate: 2.0%
Unemployment Rate: 5.6%

Measuring Success

If you find yourself questioning whether such data can genuinely represent a city or its residents, you might have a point. However, we believe this approach provides a solid foundation for understanding success in a tangible way. Congratulations to Winnetka and our top cities. For those who didn’t make the list, there’s always next year.

Detailed List of the Most Successful Cities in Illinois

Rank	City	Median Income	Poverty Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Winnetka	$207,540	1.8%	4.8%
2	Oak Brook	$148,173	2.5%	4.2%
3	Western Springs	$140,361	0.9%	5.3%
4	Gilberts	$108,352	0.0%	4.6%
5	Wilmette	$126,471	2.7%	4.3%
6	Glencoe	$171,250	3.9%	3.5%
7	Northbrook	$115,085	3.4%	5.4%
8	Northfield	$102,424	3.5%	3.7%
9	Deerfield	$135,754	2.6%	5.8%
10	Sugar Grove	$103,609	2.0%	5.6%
11	Libertyville	$112,572	3.6%	5.2%
12	Plainfield	$111,536	3.1%	5.7%
13	Mahomet	$91,292	3.6%	3.6%
14	Hampshire	$81,837	2.8%	2.4%
15	Oswego	$97,323	3.4%	5.4%
16	New Lenox	$96,327	2.3%	5.8%
17	Long Grove	$190,966	1.6%	7.2%
18	Glenview	$92,304	3.6%	5.5%
19	Lake Bluff	$133,179	4.6%	5.7%
20	Inverness	$156,938	0.2%	7.4%
21	St. Charles	$83,997	3.9%	4.1%
22	Hinsdale	$163,558	4.8%	6.1%
23	River Forest	$108,563	5.7%	4.1%
24	Park Ridge	$87,626	3.7%	5.5%
25	Grayslake	$87,967	4.1%	5.0%
26	Vernon Hills	$89,667	2.6%	6.3%
27	South Elgin	$86,600	3.7%	5.6%
28	Lake Forest	$151,000	4.9%	6.2%
29	Mokena	$100,887	1.8%	7.1%
30	Huntley	$75,792	0.7%	5.6%
31	Naperville	$109,512	4.1%	6.6%
32	Lincolnwood	$95,680	4.3%	5.8%
33	Homer Glen	$92,547	2.6%	6.9%
34	Lake Zurich	$108,294	3.6%	6.9%
35	Campton Hills	$117,556	5.4%	5.8%
36	Channahon	$90,859	3.5%	6.5%
37	Hawthorn Woods	$154,505	3.5%	7.6%
38	Buffalo Grove	$96,768	4.3%	6.6%
39	Shiloh	$81,731	4.0%	5.7%
40	Yorkville	$86,387	4.1%	6.1%
41	Highland Park	$115,382	6.0%	6.3%
42	Clarendon Hills	$106,604	8.3%	3.4%
43	Waterloo	$70,976	3.8%	4.2%
44	Burr Ridge	$113,576	7.7%	5.2%
45	Bartlett	$94,919	4.1%	7.0%
46	Flossmoor	$100,373	2.9%	7.8%
47	Elmhurst	$95,240	3.7%	7.3%
48	Frankfort	$110,829	5.3%	7.0%
49	Hoffman Estates	$83,518	4.3%	6.6%
50	Lincolnshire	$111,250	6.0%	6.8%
51	Manhattan	$80,490	3.3%	7.2%
52	Morton	$70,878	5.2%	3.9%
53	Itasca	$77,269	4.2%	6.5%
54	Arlington Heights	$78,865	4.4%	6.6%
55	Chatham	$78,455	5.2%	6.1%
56	Washington	$72,247	5.7%	4.2%
57	Downers Grove	$85,020	4.8%	6.9%
58	Round Lake	$79,109	6.0%	5.7%
59	West Dundee	$80,914	6.5%	5.6%
60	Riverside	$97,900	4.4%	7.8%
61	Geneva	$93,588	4.5%	7.6%
62	Lemont	$87,410	2.8%	8.1%
63	Monee	$73,473	5.1%	6.1%
64	La Grange	$98,971	7.5%	6.7%
65	Roselle	$77,071	3.6%	7.5%
66	Lake Villa	$82,351	3.4%	8.2%
67	Gurnee	$85,141	4.3%	7.9%
68	Orland Park	$79,334	4.8%	7.4%
69	Crystal Lake	$80,136	5.4%	7.1%
70	Mount Prospect	$69,155	4.5%	6.6%
71	Bloomingdale	$71,032	4.6%	6.9%
72	Tinley Park	$75,991	5.8%	6.7%
73	Barrington	$110,469	6.8%	7.8%
74	Monticello	$62,151	5.3%	5.5%
75	Wheaton	$84,833	6.8%	6.9%
76	Lindenhurst	$88,633	3.3%	9.1%
77	Elk Grove Village	$68,188	5.5%	6.2%
78	Algonquin	$100,534	3.3%	10.0%
79	Cary	$104,343	6.6%	8.0%
80	Schaumburg	$72,745	6.2%	6.6%
81	Minooka	$84,453	5.2%	8.1%
82	Montgomery	$76,207	4.9%	7.6%
83	Spring Grove	$103,423	5.4%	8.7%
84	Johnsburg	$86,797	5.4%	8.2%
85	Lake in the Hills	$83,149	3.8%	8.8%
86	Batavia	$92,015	6.0%	8.3%
87	Mount Zion	$69,784	6.0%	6.8%
88	Winfield	$96,464	4.5%	9.2%
89	Geneseo	$55,400	6.3%	3.5%
90	Auburn	$61,400	6.2%	6.2%
91	Wauconda	$72,987	6.5%	7.3%
92	Woodridge	$77,164	4.9%	8.3%
93	North Aurora	$81,350	6.9%	7.8%
94	Roscoe	$68,253	6.6%	6.8%
95	Columbia	$65,286	5.6%	7.1%
96	Poplar Grove	$57,167	6.7%	5.4%
97	Palos Heights	$77,575	3.2%	9.9%
98	Maryville	$80,504	6.4%	8.1%
99	Brookfield	$76,735	9.0%	6.7%
100	Lockport	$79,845	4.1%	9.2%

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Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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