River Forest is a somewhat small village located in the state of Illinois. With a population of 11,597 people and two constituent neighborhoods, River Forest is the 201st largest community in Illinois. Much of the housing stock in River Forest was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic villages in the country.

River Forest home prices are not only among the most expensive in Illinois, but River Forest real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that River Forest has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Of important note, River Forest is also a village of artists. River Forest has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape River Forest’s character.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 19.29% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

In addition, River Forest is a college town. There are a lot of students in River Forest attending college, and as a result River Forest provides a number of services, amenities and opportunities geared to the needs and activities of students.

River Forest is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The village’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, River Forest’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

One downside of living in River Forest, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 32.89 minutes every day commuting to work. It is, however, a pedestrian-friendly village. Many of its neighborhoods are dense enough and have amenities close enough together that people find it feasible to get around on foot. In addition, local public transit is widely used. For those who would prefer to avoid driving entirely and leave their car at home, it may be an option to use the transit instead.

In River Forest, a lot of people use the train to get to work every day though River Forest is a relatively small village. Those that ride the train are primarily traveling out of town to good jobs in other cities.

If knowledge is power, River Forest is a pretty powerful place. 79.66% of the adults in River Forest have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in River Forest in 2018 was $81,053, which is wealthy relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $324,212 for a family of four.

River Forest is a somewhat ethnically-diverse village. The people who call River Forest home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of River Forest residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in River Forest include Irish, German, Italian, English, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in River Forest is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.