Best PlacesDowntown Normal, Normal, IL Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Downtown Normal, Normal, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Downtown Normal, Normal ranks 5,392nd of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on short commutes by a wide margin, and thin health care access ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Downtown Normal, Normal
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Downtown Normal, Normal's strengths and weaknesses
Where Downtown Normal, Normal ranks high
- Short commute12.5 minutes each way, better than 99% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than 89% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 81% of neighborhoods
Where Downtown Normal, Normal ranks low
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Downtown Normal, Normal
A household needs to earn about $51,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Downtown Normal, Normal home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $18,946, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Downtown Normal, Normal's effective rate of 2.13%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 7 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Downtown Normal, Normal
Downtown Normal, Normal runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Downtown Normal, Normal.
Who works in Downtown Normal, Normal, and how
Work in Downtown Normal, Normal centers on hospitality & food and education. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 48%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 45%
Life in Downtown Normal, Normal
Downtown Normal, Normal has more restaurants and bars per resident than 69% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of Downtown Normal, Normal and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Downtown Normal, Normal, month by month
Downtown Normal, Normal sees roughly 83 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 85 degrees. January highs sit near 35, with lows near 20. The comfortable stretch runs May through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 26° | 20° |
| April | 63° | 51° | 41° |
| July | 85° | 75° | 66° |
| October | 66° | 55° | 46° |
Flying in and out of Downtown Normal, Normal
The nearest airport, Central Il Regional/Bloomington- Normal, is about 4 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Chicago Midway International, about 109 miles away.
The best schools in and around Downtown Normal, Normal
Schools across Downtown Normal, Normal average a C−, better than 25% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Thomas Metcalf SchoolA− · 58% proficient
- Glenn Elem SchoolD+ · 25% proficient
- Oakdale Elem SchoolD+ · 23% proficient
Top middle schools
- Kingsley Jr High SchoolD+ · 25% proficient
Top high schools
- University High SchoolA− · 65% proficient
- Normal Community West High SchoolC · 31% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Downtown Normal, Normal school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Downtown Normal, Normal measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Downtown Normal, Normal against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Downtown Normal, Normal
Is Downtown Normal, Normal a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Downtown Normal, Normal ranks 5,392nd of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on short commutes, cell coverage, and heat safety, and lowest on thin health care access and property taxes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Downtown Normal, Normal expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $165,600. The overall cost of living runs about 9% below the national average. Set against a $18,946 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is Downtown Normal, Normal safe?
Yes, Downtown Normal, Normal is safer than 68% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $279 per resident a year.
Compare Downtown Normal, Normal with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Downtown Normal, Normal. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Downtown Normal, Normal represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Downtown Normal, Normal detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Downtown Normal, Normal: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Downtown Normal, Normal: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Downtown Normal, Normal: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Downtown Normal, Normal: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Downtown Normal, Normal detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.