Population 19,416 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Park Forest
Household size in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Park Forest has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.6 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.6 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.4 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.4 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Park Forest is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.4, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has dropped from 37.8 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Only 35 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 21.2% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in five households in Park Forest (21.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.4 points, even as the national share fell. Only 14 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Park Forest
Renters in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.1% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.5% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.3% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.2% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Park Forest rent their homes (30.2%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 50.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.1 points, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Park Forest as nationally: 9.3%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Chicago area (7.2%). Vacancy has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Park Forest is a place of older homes: half were built before 1959, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Park Forest has older homes than at least four in five Illinois cities.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,174 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,224 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,283 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,428 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$254 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Park Forest costs $1,428 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $254 a month from 2006–10, a 22% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Park Forest
Bachelor's degrees in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.5% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.1% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.9% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Park Forest have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.9%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.7% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.0% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.3% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Park Forest have finished high school (92.8%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Park Forest
| Period | Park Forest | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Park Forest: 7.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 3.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Park Forest compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Forest | 2.54 | 36.4 | 21.2% | 30.2% | 9.3% | 1959 | $1,428 | 24.9% | 92.8% | 7.2% |
| Richton Park | 2.48 | 42.3 | 20.7% | 47.0% | 5.8% | 1978 | $1,871 | 28.3% | 94.2% | 12.6% |
| South Chicago Heights | 2.52 | 39.6 | 14.3% | 39.1% | 8.1% | 1965 | $1,339 | 11.8% | 75.9% | 7.9% |
| Olympia Fields | 2.22 | 47.6 | 8.7% | 15.9% | 9.8% | 1980 | $2,883 | 46.5% | 97.8% | 8.4% |
| Steger | 2.42 | 39.4 | 12.8% | 40.1% | 10.3% | 1967 | $1,126 | 20.0% | 89.5% | 7.7% |
| Chicago Heights | 2.90 | 35.5 | 22.8% | 34.6% | 13.5% | 1961 | $1,264 | 21.9% | 85.4% | 12.6% |
| University Park | 2.85 | 34.1 | 30.7% | 33.3% | 8.9% | 1981 | $1,827 | 29.3% | 93.4% | 13.4% |
| Matteson | 2.61 | 44.6 | 12.1% | 21.4% | 5.2% | 1988 | $1,719 | 36.6% | 92.5% | 9.4% |
| Flossmoor | 2.70 | 46.6 | 8.2% | 4.6% | 5.9% | 1971 | $1,977 | 61.2% | 98.3% | 10.6% |
| Homewood | 2.74 | 39.1 | 16.9% | 16.2% | 6.6% | 1962 | $1,703 | 47.4% | 96.4% | 9.6% |
| Crete | 2.50 | 47.6 | 9.5% | 9.8% | 5.2% | 1975 | $1,303 | 31.5% | 94.7% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shorewood, IL · Mountain Home, ID · North Tustin, CA · Rosedale, MD · Rotterdam, NY · Saco, ME · Salmon Creek, WA · San Fernando, CA · San Jose, PR · Scarborough, ME
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Park Forest. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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