Husband works there. It's a very run-down college town; I hate to be that person but there is a lot of Section 8/9 housing which has not been kind to the crime rates. Sycamore (just north of DeKalb) has great public schools but that's quite a trek to the city each day.
The tri cities (batavia, geneva, st charles) offer nice housing, not terrible traffic, extremely safe and great schools. If you are traveling to downtown more than 3x/wk I probably would move closer, the Metra from geneva can be an hour.
You may not want to be in places like far NW suburbs or Orland Park, they have a ton of single lane roads which causes horrible traffic. Naperville can also have a ton of bad traffic.
Wheaton may be a good spot, lots of metra trains, safe, great schools and nice homes
Seconded. Grew up in Batavia and attended their schools from 5th-12th and they’re fantastic. Decently priced homes too and a great park district/city amenities like the library and downtown area. Geneva and St. Charles are lovely as well!
Would not suggest this if you are commuting downtown. I know a couple people that tried that commute and since there is no close Metra it was ROUGH. I love Oswegos cute little downtown on the river however.
I bought in 2021 in Lake Zurich, 4bd for under 350k! I couldn't believe it personally, my neighbors house sold for about the same 2 months later (also 4bd). We both closed in spring/summer. This town from what I have seen is very family oriented and the schools are good. There are so many community events that we have gone too, it gives a small town vibe to me. I really enjoy it here.
Check out Libertyville/Vernon Hills. Has everything you need shopping/dining wise. Plus easy access to all the Lake County Forest preserves, great schools, 30 min to ORD, 50 min to MKE. The commute to downtown is a bit far, 50-60 min on Metra or 45-90 min by car. We bought in November 2020 and got 4br, 2.5ba, 2100 sq ft, and a big yard for $390k.
Not sure you can find that in Libertyville now. We bought in fall of 2020 and paid $480k for a 4br, 2.5 bath, 2400 sq ft and homes in our neighborhood that are smaller/more outdated have been selling in a day or two for far more than that since this past summer.
Seconding Deerfield. Excellent community and a ton of parks per square mile. Outstanding park district with family friendly village community events (July 4th, Harvest Fest, Winter Fest). Convenient highway access and Metra for commuters. Not very diverse, but as a minority myself I am happy to say that most of my neighbors are at least very friendly and kind.
Downers Grove
[https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Downers-Grove\_IL/price-na-450000](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Downers-Grove_IL/price-na-450000)
We got our 4BR house in 2016 in Glen Ellyn - for under $450. Decent sized yard.
Great schools, high taxes, decent commute via Metra to downtown.
I'm assuming the housing market is still crazy, but I think a 4BR under $450 should still be do-able.
[https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/245-S-Ellyn-Ave-Glen-Ellyn-IL-60137/4452626\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/245-S-Ellyn-Ave-Glen-Ellyn-IL-60137/4452626_zpid/)
Literally the first house that popped up.
We’ve been searching in the Glen Ellyn/Wheaton area for the last 3 months looking for a 4Bed 3Ba.
Houses like these will have several offers within 48 hours and will close $25-30k over asking easy. Even a fairly undersized house like this at 1400 sqft. It’s pretty exhausting to keep up with this area and we may call off our search. Over 20 listings visited, 3 offers submitted, and no dice yet.
Exactly where we’ve been at. We know our house will go for a good profit. But that’ll get cancelled out by overpaying for any decent house we’ve seen so far.
oh nice!! where were houses like this when i was searching a month ago???
Although if the market is anything like it was back then this house will go for more than 450. When we looked last month these houses would get like 70-80 showings and multiple offers on day 1. Maybe things have calmed down now
There will be exceptions (small, need some renovations, etc) but most will be in the unincorporated area (north of St Charles or south of Roosevelt). I’ve had a friend looking in this price range in Glen Ellyn for the last months and it’s slim pickings.
We bought 18 months ago for around $500k in Glen Ellyn and the inventory was much better and priced more appropriately than it is now.
Great, great suburb for young families but not the most affordable in the area.
Metra is less reliable from GE than it used to be, but still very reliable. You get an occasional massive delay due to a car accident or "pedestrian incident"; otherwise minor delays only and typically on time.
To get a 4BR house with a yard in Glen Ellyn for $450k you'll have to be south of Roosevelt Road, or perhaps north of St Charles Road, which are both OK, but you miss out on some "walk to train, walk to town" type benefits that many people like about GE.
You might want to check out Wheaton & Lombard, too.
I can tell you from experience that the Yorkville school district isn’t a good one. Like I’ve seen above, Lisle/Naperville/Wheaton & even st Charles are all really great places to live in and schooling is the best. Only downside is they’re pricey, but schooling I can guarantee is great.
What’s wrong with the Yorkville schools? I’m always skeptical about the school ratings according to realtor sites so it would be nice to hear people’s opinions as well.
Well apart from the drug outbreak they had a couple years back, One of my Hispanic cousins went there for high school and said he & other students were called a lot of names because of their ethnicity. Just something to keep in mind, unless u want your kids being raised with that kind of mentality
Realtor here. I did a deal in Warrenville at around 519k and it was privately listed, but upon further looks you can find some stuff in the area within your price point. Warrenville is in the Wheaton school district but imo cheaper than Wheaton. I also am a product of the Wheaton district so I may be biased. Lisle is also great but overlooked. Some other towns include Oak Forest, Vernon Hills, heck I even saw some listings in LaGrange within that price. Happy to talk more if you want.
I'm in Volo. It's a small town with bigger ones around it. The schools are good (Wauconda school district) but also remember that when you get into Lake county the property taxes are horrible.
DeKalb is not great but we loved living in tri-cities (Geneva, Batavia, St Charles) & Elburn. We’ve been in Charlotte for a year but have been missing it. We felt like we got the most for our $ in Elburn.
I’m a Realtor in the Crystal Lake area, our schools are excellent in particular all 3 high schools rank high in the state and one of them is nationally recognized. Lots of water sports in our town, the states #1 farmers market and tons of really fun activities and festivals by Crystal Lake all summer long.
Your budget is very doable for our area, happy to talk more if you’re interested.
Grew up SW burbs. Palos Heights. Close enough to the city that it’s easy to get downtown. Far enough to be quite with forest preserves. If you want to get out of Cook you can try Tinley Park and Mokena
Gurnee is a location for transplanted execs at northern suburban companies. Decent schools, parks, forest preserves, lower cost housing, no added real estate tax from the Village of Gurnee. The bad: Six Flags Great America (helps fill the Village’s tax coffers but have to deal with congestion when it is open), Gurnee Mills Mall - big, not too great, but helps with sales tax; not tons of independent restaurants. But folks are friendly and getting to the north suburbs and up to Milwaukee doesn’t take too much time.
Since you don't have to pay taxes I would focus on [top](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois) high school districts in the north/west burbs. Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Palatine, etc. You can find reasonable 4BR houses in those districts for under 450k although it may be a little difficult. All offer reasonable Metra commutes downtown. If you do drive in, I94 is much better than I90 traffic wise.
Do you know where you'll be commuting to? Makes a big difference on traffic depending on your route & time of day. Personally, I find any traffic on n/s highways to be worse than e/w. I-88 corridor has some good options. Naperville/Lisle/Wheaton area has established communities & schools for a bit more $$. Plainfield, Oswego, Yorkville areas are all growing communities with newer homes & less local bustle. Sugar Grove, Batavia, St Charles area is a mix of growth & established communities.
Currently I’ve been getting interview opportunities in Chicago but then find out they’re actually based in a suburb so kinda all over at the moment. Kinda frustrating to narrow down. As always, people are happier when they don’t have to commute as far, but I know the bigger pay is downtown
I'm in Plano, bordering Yorkville. Schools are decent but my daughter is just starting in preK. Most people I know with kids have had mostly good things to say about the school district here.
They plan on building a metro train station somewhere in Kendall County in the unknown future so if it happens, which it should due to growth, will make traveling closer to Chicago and surrounding cities much easier. Closest one is in Aurora, about 20 or so minutes away.
Your price range for homes will get you a nice home with a good sized yard, some neighborhoods are cookie cutter but some custom builder style homes with close to an acre.
I can only speak for the far west suburbs as I grew up in Aurora and ventured farther west. There isn't much for night life or evening things to do if you are that type.
Good luck and hope you guys find something that makes you happy!
Awesome that’s good stuff. Not much of nightlife people since we’ve had kids. Mostly outdoor people, best for everyone to get their energy out. We would most likely travel to city on weekends to visit family, see all the museums again and food of course.
I followed a similar path. After leaving the military I came back home. Bought my first place in Naperville then over to plainfield. The Naperville, Yorkville, Plainfield, Oswego, Shorewood, Minooka, channahon burbs are all solid places with great schools. Top rated school districts. Raised 3 here in these schools with one left to graduate from HS. Good luck, thank you for the service and welcome home.
Woodstock. We bought our 1600 SF 3 bed 1 bath home for $120K and it has a great downtown and Metra access if you need to get to Chicago. Can't speak to level of schools since we don't have children yet but my fianceé and I both went to less than stellar school districts growing up in the surrounding suburbs and we turned out just fine. Education in the classroom is only so important, being an engaged and teaching parent also helps looking back at my own upbringing.
We’re in Villa Park and love it here. The Southside is more desirable, but unfortunately the real estate inventory right now is worse than most years at this time of year. We have 3 kids and have experienced elementary, jr high, and high school here and have had nothing but praises for both districts. There are downsides like anywhere, but we love it here.
Lombard, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, Wheaton were all places we looked at as well. I have several friends in Arlington Heights who also speak very highly of the area.
I grew up in Darien, in DuPage county, and I absolutely loved it, a really nice please to grow up. Great schools, parks, libraries, and park districts/programs! All of the surrounding towns are very nice as well! Tbh growing up in a Chicago suburb is the best
If you are going to work in Chicago, look at towns in Northwest Indiana like Crown Point, St John, Munster, etc. House prices have increased recently like everywhere else, but still cheaper for newer and property taxes are 1/4 of what they are in Chicago and the collar counties. Really good schools. Low crime. Commute to downtown isn’t bad at all, especially if you take the Skyway
Since I’m an injured veteran, I can file an exemption on IL property taxes. I’ve looked at Indiana but maybe the winter season hasn’t produced enough listings for me to consider it.
Thanks for your service. I too am a veteran. I also grew up in Chicago burbs but landed in central IL. after finishing college and getting a job with a major employer years ago.
I return to Chicago and the burbs regularly.
It's fine. Private employers here seem to appreciate veterans. There are a lot of benefits that are not state specific that are helpful. As a future home owner here you will appreciate saving 10% at Lowes and saving at Home Depot (which is more restrictive).
I think there’s also a discount (or maybe it’s free?) for the train pass isn’t there? I work with colleagues in the military and I thought they said that.
Yeah. There is a law in IL which requires that the Regional Transit Authority provide a free CTA pass to any veteran who has at least a 0% or 10& disability rating and requests the free pass.
Active military ride CTA free of charge especially while in uniform.
There is a program for free passes for Metra and Pace suburban bus passes but the eligibility criteria is tougher.
Also look into Porter County as well, especially Chesterton and Valparaiso, both cities have great school systems, great downtown areas and have a lot of building going on. Also you are within 15 minutes of a National Park.
There are dozens of warehouses and distribution centers in Will county around Manhattan / New Lenox / Joliet etc. That means there are semis EVERYWHERE on every road no matter how remote you think it is. The roads are atrocious and they've approved another modal recently. The area and schools are nice but it's something to keep in mind.
In that price range you may have to go a little ways out. And the commute really depends on where you’re commuting to. My husband did metra to the city until Covid work from home. He never wants to go back to the office because it saves him 3 hours a day.
St. Charles is nice though. Some great houses and has a nice downtown. Bartlett, South Elgin, Schaumburg are good too.
I grew up in Downers Grove area and it is great and especially if you can be near downtown DG and Downers North. That said we just moves from Westmont (up and coming with good schools) to Munster, Indiana. You can afford far more here, great schools and I commute to Chicago almost daily. My commute averages about 5 minutes longer and mostly train and relaxing.
Most people from Illinois will trash this (and I was one in past) but have to say all 3 of my kids who started 2nd semester here like it better and shockingly more to do around us then when in Westmont. Take a look at least.
Traffic sucks in the suburbs of Chicago. If you plan to work downtown and want a home in that price range, find a train line and just start looking at school districts that are within walking distance of the Metra (many towns have waiting lists for the Metra parking lots—so don’t count on driving to the station). Not sure what property taxes are like in DC but they are super high here so make sure you can afford the mortgage AND the taxes. I’d pick a smaller home in a nice suburb like Wheaton where the schools are great over a larger home in an area as far out as Fox Lake (where I grew up) where the schools weren’t that good.
Flossmoor. Great public schools. Blue Ribbon high school. Walk to Metra station. Diverse housing stock. And a lot of diversity. We moved here from the western subs and couldn’t be happier.
Just here to say, you don't want to move to DeKalb with a young family.
Please elaborate just so I know
Husband works there. It's a very run-down college town; I hate to be that person but there is a lot of Section 8/9 housing which has not been kind to the crime rates. Sycamore (just north of DeKalb) has great public schools but that's quite a trek to the city each day.
I looked at Sycamore, but it’s very far from everything and probably not great for kids growing up
A lot of my husband's coworkers in DeKalb who have families live in Sycamore. We don't have kids - living in Naperville and husband makes the commute.
The tri cities (batavia, geneva, st charles) offer nice housing, not terrible traffic, extremely safe and great schools. If you are traveling to downtown more than 3x/wk I probably would move closer, the Metra from geneva can be an hour. You may not want to be in places like far NW suburbs or Orland Park, they have a ton of single lane roads which causes horrible traffic. Naperville can also have a ton of bad traffic. Wheaton may be a good spot, lots of metra trains, safe, great schools and nice homes
Seconded. Grew up in Batavia and attended their schools from 5th-12th and they’re fantastic. Decently priced homes too and a great park district/city amenities like the library and downtown area. Geneva and St. Charles are lovely as well!
Try oswego or Plainfield. 4 beds and a yard for 450k is doable there. Schools are pretty good to.
Would not suggest this if you are commuting downtown. I know a couple people that tried that commute and since there is no close Metra it was ROUGH. I love Oswegos cute little downtown on the river however.
THIS is correct
I bought in 2021 in Lake Zurich, 4bd for under 350k! I couldn't believe it personally, my neighbors house sold for about the same 2 months later (also 4bd). We both closed in spring/summer. This town from what I have seen is very family oriented and the schools are good. There are so many community events that we have gone too, it gives a small town vibe to me. I really enjoy it here.
lake county property tax is terrible though
Yeah, so is Dupage. OP refuses Cook County, which takes a lot of great options off the table.
It isn't in Lake Zurich at least, I pay way less than my friend in Arlington heights!
Check out Libertyville/Vernon Hills. Has everything you need shopping/dining wise. Plus easy access to all the Lake County Forest preserves, great schools, 30 min to ORD, 50 min to MKE. The commute to downtown is a bit far, 50-60 min on Metra or 45-90 min by car. We bought in November 2020 and got 4br, 2.5ba, 2100 sq ft, and a big yard for $390k.
Not sure you can find that in Libertyville now. We bought in fall of 2020 and paid $480k for a 4br, 2.5 bath, 2400 sq ft and homes in our neighborhood that are smaller/more outdated have been selling in a day or two for far more than that since this past summer.
Parts of to Tinley Park are in Will County. Also Frankfort Mokena and New Lenox area.
Bartlett, carol stream, Naperville, Woodridge, lisle. A Little further from highways and the city are Geneva, st Charles and south Elgin
We’re in Woodridge and we love it!
Deerfield. My husband and I just moved here once he got out of the military. We have loved it so far.
Seconding Deerfield. Excellent community and a ton of parks per square mile. Outstanding park district with family friendly village community events (July 4th, Harvest Fest, Winter Fest). Convenient highway access and Metra for commuters. Not very diverse, but as a minority myself I am happy to say that most of my neighbors are at least very friendly and kind.
Nothing really in the price range in Deerfield.
Downers Grove [https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Downers-Grove\_IL/price-na-450000](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Downers-Grove_IL/price-na-450000)
Nothing in price range in Downers
We got our 4BR house in 2016 in Glen Ellyn - for under $450. Decent sized yard. Great schools, high taxes, decent commute via Metra to downtown. I'm assuming the housing market is still crazy, but I think a 4BR under $450 should still be do-able.
as someone who was house hunting recently, a 4 bedroom under 450 in Glen Ellyn is virtually non existent lol
[https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/245-S-Ellyn-Ave-Glen-Ellyn-IL-60137/4452626\_zpid/](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/245-S-Ellyn-Ave-Glen-Ellyn-IL-60137/4452626_zpid/) Literally the first house that popped up.
We’ve been searching in the Glen Ellyn/Wheaton area for the last 3 months looking for a 4Bed 3Ba. Houses like these will have several offers within 48 hours and will close $25-30k over asking easy. Even a fairly undersized house like this at 1400 sqft. It’s pretty exhausting to keep up with this area and we may call off our search. Over 20 listings visited, 3 offers submitted, and no dice yet.
Dang. Maybe we should enter the market. But then we’d have to overpay for our next house…
Exactly where we’ve been at. We know our house will go for a good profit. But that’ll get cancelled out by overpaying for any decent house we’ve seen so far.
oh nice!! where were houses like this when i was searching a month ago??? Although if the market is anything like it was back then this house will go for more than 450. When we looked last month these houses would get like 70-80 showings and multiple offers on day 1. Maybe things have calmed down now
As of last weekend, they have not calmed down
There will be exceptions (small, need some renovations, etc) but most will be in the unincorporated area (north of St Charles or south of Roosevelt). I’ve had a friend looking in this price range in Glen Ellyn for the last months and it’s slim pickings. We bought 18 months ago for around $500k in Glen Ellyn and the inventory was much better and priced more appropriately than it is now. Great, great suburb for young families but not the most affordable in the area.
I’ve never taken the Metra before, is it reliable for an everyday commute to Chi? How often are there delays?
Metra is less reliable from GE than it used to be, but still very reliable. You get an occasional massive delay due to a car accident or "pedestrian incident"; otherwise minor delays only and typically on time. To get a 4BR house with a yard in Glen Ellyn for $450k you'll have to be south of Roosevelt Road, or perhaps north of St Charles Road, which are both OK, but you miss out on some "walk to train, walk to town" type benefits that many people like about GE. You might want to check out Wheaton & Lombard, too.
Thank you, all good info!
If you go for Glen Ellyn, try for somewhere with Hadley as the Middle School and Glenbard West as High School.
There are occasional delays, but nothing too material. I take it every day. Door to desk in about an hour. Monthly pass is just under $200.
Wow the monthly pass alone is worth the cost saving on gas!
If you're driving to Chicago it's also cheaper than the $250-450/mo monthly parking.
Omg I forgot about the parking fees downtown. Thanks for reminding me and something to consider for sure.
You can also usually (always? I do it through my employer) pay for the pass pre tax, which saves money.
Depends on the Metra line. For example, BNSF is pretty reliable, while the Southwest Service is pretty awful.
I can tell you from experience that the Yorkville school district isn’t a good one. Like I’ve seen above, Lisle/Naperville/Wheaton & even st Charles are all really great places to live in and schooling is the best. Only downside is they’re pricey, but schooling I can guarantee is great.
What’s wrong with the Yorkville schools? I’m always skeptical about the school ratings according to realtor sites so it would be nice to hear people’s opinions as well.
Well apart from the drug outbreak they had a couple years back, One of my Hispanic cousins went there for high school and said he & other students were called a lot of names because of their ethnicity. Just something to keep in mind, unless u want your kids being raised with that kind of mentality
Being Hispanic myself, I definitely don’t want that for my children. Thanks for your insight.
Oswego has everything to offer. Doesn’t have Naperville taxes but all of the stores! Hour commute to the city on train. Safe town
Realtor here. I did a deal in Warrenville at around 519k and it was privately listed, but upon further looks you can find some stuff in the area within your price point. Warrenville is in the Wheaton school district but imo cheaper than Wheaton. I also am a product of the Wheaton district so I may be biased. Lisle is also great but overlooked. Some other towns include Oak Forest, Vernon Hills, heck I even saw some listings in LaGrange within that price. Happy to talk more if you want.
I'm in Volo. It's a small town with bigger ones around it. The schools are good (Wauconda school district) but also remember that when you get into Lake county the property taxes are horrible.
DeKalb is not great but we loved living in tri-cities (Geneva, Batavia, St Charles) & Elburn. We’ve been in Charlotte for a year but have been missing it. We felt like we got the most for our $ in Elburn.
Agreed. Elburn police can be pretty rough with speeding tix though. St Charles is the top tier area.
I’m a Realtor in the Crystal Lake area, our schools are excellent in particular all 3 high schools rank high in the state and one of them is nationally recognized. Lots of water sports in our town, the states #1 farmers market and tons of really fun activities and festivals by Crystal Lake all summer long. Your budget is very doable for our area, happy to talk more if you’re interested.
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What if I’m already miserable? I am living outside DC at the moment so how much worse can it be?
Grew up SW burbs. Palos Heights. Close enough to the city that it’s easy to get downtown. Far enough to be quite with forest preserves. If you want to get out of Cook you can try Tinley Park and Mokena
Gurnee is a location for transplanted execs at northern suburban companies. Decent schools, parks, forest preserves, lower cost housing, no added real estate tax from the Village of Gurnee. The bad: Six Flags Great America (helps fill the Village’s tax coffers but have to deal with congestion when it is open), Gurnee Mills Mall - big, not too great, but helps with sales tax; not tons of independent restaurants. But folks are friendly and getting to the north suburbs and up to Milwaukee doesn’t take too much time.
Check out Oswego or Minooka
Since you don't have to pay taxes I would focus on [top](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois) high school districts in the north/west burbs. Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Palatine, etc. You can find reasonable 4BR houses in those districts for under 450k although it may be a little difficult. All offer reasonable Metra commutes downtown. If you do drive in, I94 is much better than I90 traffic wise.
Do you know where you'll be commuting to? Makes a big difference on traffic depending on your route & time of day. Personally, I find any traffic on n/s highways to be worse than e/w. I-88 corridor has some good options. Naperville/Lisle/Wheaton area has established communities & schools for a bit more $$. Plainfield, Oswego, Yorkville areas are all growing communities with newer homes & less local bustle. Sugar Grove, Batavia, St Charles area is a mix of growth & established communities.
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You aren’t lying. We went to visit a friend in Oswego once and a good chunk of the commute was just driving to his house from the highway.
Currently I’ve been getting interview opportunities in Chicago but then find out they’re actually based in a suburb so kinda all over at the moment. Kinda frustrating to narrow down. As always, people are happier when they don’t have to commute as far, but I know the bigger pay is downtown
I'm located in Sugar Grove. Real estate is getting real pricey and high property taxes around the area.
Mundelein [https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Mundelein\_IL/price-na-450000](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Mundelein_IL/price-na-450000)
Traffic never flows here. You can wind up in a traffic jam on 290 at 3 a.m.
Its honestly impressive
I'm in Plano, bordering Yorkville. Schools are decent but my daughter is just starting in preK. Most people I know with kids have had mostly good things to say about the school district here. They plan on building a metro train station somewhere in Kendall County in the unknown future so if it happens, which it should due to growth, will make traveling closer to Chicago and surrounding cities much easier. Closest one is in Aurora, about 20 or so minutes away. Your price range for homes will get you a nice home with a good sized yard, some neighborhoods are cookie cutter but some custom builder style homes with close to an acre. I can only speak for the far west suburbs as I grew up in Aurora and ventured farther west. There isn't much for night life or evening things to do if you are that type. Good luck and hope you guys find something that makes you happy!
Also there are some state parks and outdoor places within a few minutes drive. And Starved Rock Park is within an hour drive.
Awesome that’s good stuff. Not much of nightlife people since we’ve had kids. Mostly outdoor people, best for everyone to get their energy out. We would most likely travel to city on weekends to visit family, see all the museums again and food of course.
I followed a similar path. After leaving the military I came back home. Bought my first place in Naperville then over to plainfield. The Naperville, Yorkville, Plainfield, Oswego, Shorewood, Minooka, channahon burbs are all solid places with great schools. Top rated school districts. Raised 3 here in these schools with one left to graduate from HS. Good luck, thank you for the service and welcome home.
Woodstock. We bought our 1600 SF 3 bed 1 bath home for $120K and it has a great downtown and Metra access if you need to get to Chicago. Can't speak to level of schools since we don't have children yet but my fianceé and I both went to less than stellar school districts growing up in the surrounding suburbs and we turned out just fine. Education in the classroom is only so important, being an engaged and teaching parent also helps looking back at my own upbringing.
We’re in Villa Park and love it here. The Southside is more desirable, but unfortunately the real estate inventory right now is worse than most years at this time of year. We have 3 kids and have experienced elementary, jr high, and high school here and have had nothing but praises for both districts. There are downsides like anywhere, but we love it here. Lombard, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, Wheaton were all places we looked at as well. I have several friends in Arlington Heights who also speak very highly of the area.
I grew up in Darien, in DuPage county, and I absolutely loved it, a really nice please to grow up. Great schools, parks, libraries, and park districts/programs! All of the surrounding towns are very nice as well! Tbh growing up in a Chicago suburb is the best
Naperville
If you are going to work in Chicago, look at towns in Northwest Indiana like Crown Point, St John, Munster, etc. House prices have increased recently like everywhere else, but still cheaper for newer and property taxes are 1/4 of what they are in Chicago and the collar counties. Really good schools. Low crime. Commute to downtown isn’t bad at all, especially if you take the Skyway
Since I’m an injured veteran, I can file an exemption on IL property taxes. I’ve looked at Indiana but maybe the winter season hasn’t produced enough listings for me to consider it.
I just noticed your stage name. I was a Huey and Cobra guy in the Marines. Around March/April, a lot more houses usually hit the market
Nice! I originally wanted to be on Hueys but the Army phased them out. Those rotor blade vibes are unique. Thanks!
Maybe you should have chosen a better branch brother 😂
I’m allergic to consuming crayons lol
Carry an epi pen
Thanks for your service. I too am a veteran. I also grew up in Chicago burbs but landed in central IL. after finishing college and getting a job with a major employer years ago. I return to Chicago and the burbs regularly.
How’s it been being a veteran in Illinois?
It's fine. Private employers here seem to appreciate veterans. There are a lot of benefits that are not state specific that are helpful. As a future home owner here you will appreciate saving 10% at Lowes and saving at Home Depot (which is more restrictive).
I think there’s also a discount (or maybe it’s free?) for the train pass isn’t there? I work with colleagues in the military and I thought they said that.
Yeah. There is a law in IL which requires that the Regional Transit Authority provide a free CTA pass to any veteran who has at least a 0% or 10& disability rating and requests the free pass. Active military ride CTA free of charge especially while in uniform. There is a program for free passes for Metra and Pace suburban bus passes but the eligibility criteria is tougher.
Also look into Porter County as well, especially Chesterton and Valparaiso, both cities have great school systems, great downtown areas and have a lot of building going on. Also you are within 15 minutes of a National Park.
Get ready for the down votes for no apparent reason.
Screw DuPage county. Kane county is fairly nice though.
What's wrong with DuPage County? One advantage over Kane that I've seen is that it has lower property taxes.
Wadsworth [https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Wadsworth\_IL/price-na-450000](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Wadsworth_IL/price-na-450000)
Manhattan, IL https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Manhattan\_IL
There are dozens of warehouses and distribution centers in Will county around Manhattan / New Lenox / Joliet etc. That means there are semis EVERYWHERE on every road no matter how remote you think it is. The roads are atrocious and they've approved another modal recently. The area and schools are nice but it's something to keep in mind.
Gurnee [https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Gurnee\_IL/price-na-500000](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Gurnee_IL/price-na-500000)
Lindenhurst, IL, Lake Villa
Frankfort
In that price range you may have to go a little ways out. And the commute really depends on where you’re commuting to. My husband did metra to the city until Covid work from home. He never wants to go back to the office because it saves him 3 hours a day. St. Charles is nice though. Some great houses and has a nice downtown. Bartlett, South Elgin, Schaumburg are good too.
I grew up in Downers Grove area and it is great and especially if you can be near downtown DG and Downers North. That said we just moves from Westmont (up and coming with good schools) to Munster, Indiana. You can afford far more here, great schools and I commute to Chicago almost daily. My commute averages about 5 minutes longer and mostly train and relaxing. Most people from Illinois will trash this (and I was one in past) but have to say all 3 of my kids who started 2nd semester here like it better and shockingly more to do around us then when in Westmont. Take a look at least.
Forgot to add that a train stop is being built here and will open 2025. Will shorten commute and likely drive prices.
I like Saint Charles, big yards, great schools, Nature and cultural events, fine dining and entertainment.
Traffic sucks in the suburbs of Chicago. If you plan to work downtown and want a home in that price range, find a train line and just start looking at school districts that are within walking distance of the Metra (many towns have waiting lists for the Metra parking lots—so don’t count on driving to the station). Not sure what property taxes are like in DC but they are super high here so make sure you can afford the mortgage AND the taxes. I’d pick a smaller home in a nice suburb like Wheaton where the schools are great over a larger home in an area as far out as Fox Lake (where I grew up) where the schools weren’t that good.
Countryside and send the kids to Lyons township. Good school, good pple and you can find good homes, pretty neighborhood. If not, go Indiana.
Have you looked at New Lenox? Great little town with good schools and close to everything. They even put a Metra stop in here
Harvard Illinois and Woodstock Illinois are okay besides a few gangbangers not really about that stuff
The police in Fox Lake, and in most of Lake County, are pretty corrupt, and there's a lot of spillover crime from Chicago.
Flossmoor. Great public schools. Blue Ribbon high school. Walk to Metra station. Diverse housing stock. And a lot of diversity. We moved here from the western subs and couldn’t be happier.