The 10 Worst Chicago Suburbs For 2022


We used science and data to determine which Chicago suburbs are the real pits.

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Not everyone is cut out for city life. Some people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Chicago.

So the question arises, do the suburbs maintain a semblance of the larger-than-life appeal of their more famous neighbor?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Chicago 'burbs need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Chicago area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the suburbs to live up to Chicago proper, although Western Springs certainly tries.

Of course, not all suburbs of Chicago are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones..

We examined the 166 biggest suburbs of Chicago to find out the worst places to live. And while you won't necessarily find them on the worst places to live in Illinois lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Chicago in terms of quality of life.

Here are the 10 worst suburbs around Chicago for 2022:

  1. Lake Station
  2. Dixmoor
  3. East Chicago
  4. Ford Heights
  5. Gary
  6. Harvey
  7. Chicago Heights
  8. Robbins
  9. South Chicago Heights
  10. Burnham

What's the worst suburb of Chicago? Lake Station ranks as the worst suburb of Chicago for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Chicago that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.

Or, if you're thinking of moving to elsewhere in Illinois check out the best places in Illinois overall or the worst.

And remember, there are some good places to live around Chicago too.

Editor's Note: If you see a slight difference between the worst in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it's because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.

For more Illinois reading, check out:

The 10 Worst Chicago Suburbs To Live For 2022

1. Lake Station

We'll get the ball rolling with Lake Station, the absolute worst place to live around Chicago according to the data.

And in the world of worst rankings, Lake Station beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the 15th worst in the Chicago area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks 9th worst when it comes to home values.

But hey, at least it's cheap to live there. But there's a reason for that... it's Lake Station.

You won't feel bad about not having a great income for the area, there aren't a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 11,952
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Median Income: $48,585 (15th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 16.5% (3rd highest)
Median Home Value: $86,100 (9th lowest)
More on Lake Station:

Lake Station, IN

Source: Public domain

Welcome to Dixmoor. Home to KMart, Big Lots, and a lot of gas stations.

This city is 14.1 miles to Chicago. Income levels here are the 8th lowest in the metro area, where families bring in about $44,757 a year, which doesn't go a long ways even on a shoestring budget.

But on the bright side, there are a lot of fast food joints in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,570
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Median Income: $44,757 (8th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.9% (22nd highest)
Median Home Value: $65,800 (2nd lowest)
More on Dixmoor:  Data | Photos

Dixmoor, IL

Source: Wikipedia

3. East Chicago

Back up the highway we go for the third worst Chicago suburb you can live in. You might have expected to see East Chicago on here. While the cost of living is low, your entertainment and work options are limited. And that's an understatement.

In terms of numbers, it's in the worst 15% for insurance, and the adult high school drop out rate is poor compared to other Chicago suburbs.

But at least there are nice parks to bring the kids during the day.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 28,044
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Income: $35,396 (3rd lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 8.5% (30th highest)
Median Home Value: $73,100 (5th lowest)
More on East Chicago:

East Chicago, IN

If you live in Ford Heights, most likely you struggle to make ends meet every month. It ranks as the 5th lowest Chicago suburb when it comes to residents making money.

Not only that, but this is the worst unemployed suburb you can live in if you choose to live near Chicago. Remember, we looked at 166 cities for this study.

Ford Heights is about 23.1 miles to downtown.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,705
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)
Median Income: $37,083 (5th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 22.6% (highest)
Median Home Value: $44,700 (lowest)
More on Ford Heights:  Data | Photos

Ford Heights, IL

5. Gary

Gary has the distinction of being a Chicago suburb. Which means that's about all it has going for it.

All snarkiness aside, Gary has the 3rd lowest home values in the metro Chicago area, where the median price is $68,400. To put that into perspective, in Western Springs, the median income is $250,001, which is the best in the area.

Gary has an unemployment rate of 12.7% which ranks 13th worst.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 75,486
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Median Income: $31,315 (lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 12.7% (13th highest)
Median Home Value: $68,400 (3rd lowest)
More on Gary:

Gary, IN

Harvey has 24,295 residents that probably know it's a pretty crummy place to live when you look at the data. (Or, if you've ever been there, you don't need to look at the data.)

Incomes are towards the bottom and the poverty rate sits at 31.07922645040549%.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 24,295
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $32,635 (2nd lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 14.6% (6th highest)
Median Home Value: $72,600 (4th lowest)
More on Harvey:  Data | Photos

Harvey, IL

Ah, Chicago Heights. You rank as the 7th worst place to live around Chicago.

It's the place with the 11th most out of work residents in the Chicago metro area (13.13%).

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 29,598
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Median Income: $49,880 (17th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 13.1% (11th highest)
Median Home Value: $107,700 (15th lowest)
More on Chicago Heights:  Data | Photos

Chicago Heights, IL

Robbins is a city about 13.5 miles from Chicago, but Chicago probably wishes it was further away. It ranks as the 8th worst burb for 2018.

You'd be hard pressed to find a worse place to live. Robbins has the 34th most uninsured people, 4th worst incomes, and has the 14th highest unemployment rate (12.62%) in the entire Chicago metro area.

Homes only cost $83,200 for a reason. That's cheap for Chicago standards.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,068
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Income: $35,815 (4th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 12.6% (14th highest)
Median Home Value: $83,200 (8th lowest)
More on Robbins:  Data

If you absolutely have to live near Chicago, then South Chicago Heights might be a place for you to consider as it's only the 9th worst Chicago suburb.

About 7.32% of residents are out of work.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 4,042
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 2)
Median Income: $45,321 (9th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 7.3% (36th highest)
Median Home Value: $102,500 (13th lowest)
More on South Chicago Heights:  Data | Photos

South Chicago Heights, IL

Source: Wikipedia

Rounding out the ten worst Chicago suburbs to call home is Burnham.

Located 15.4 miles outside the city, Burnhams is a real pit when you look at the data. Its residents have the 23rd highest unemployment rate (9.65%), and poverty is far above the area average.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,121
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Income: $46,382 (10th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.6% (23rd highest)
Median Home Value: $101,300 (12th lowest)
More on Burnham:  Data | Photos

Burnham, IL

Source: Wikipedia

Methodology: Determining The Worst Suburbs Around Chicago for 2022

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent American Community Survey data from 2016-2020, this is the criteria we used:

  • High unemployment rate
  • Low median household incomes
  • Low population density (no things to do)
  • Low home values
  • A lot of high school drop outs
  • High poverty
  • High rate of uninsured families

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Chicago.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 166 suburbs to evaluate around Chicago.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 166 in each category, where 1 was the "worst".

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the worst quality of life index the "Worst Suburb near Chicago." We're lookin' at you, Lake Station. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the worst of the worst. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from worst to best.

Summary: The areas around Chicago where the dream is more of a nightmare for 2022

Well there you have it -- the worst of the 'burbs surrounding Chicago with Lake Station casting itself ahead of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the suburbs around Chicago aren't all bad. Western Springs takes the cake as the best place to live around Chicago.

  • Western Springs
  • Wilmette
  • Glencoe

For more Illinois reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Chicago Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Values
1 Lake Station 11,952 $48,585 $86,100
2 Dixmoor 3,570 $44,757 $65,800
3 East Chicago 28,044 $35,396 $73,100
4 Ford Heights 2,705 $37,083 $44,700
5 Gary 75,486 $31,315 $68,400
6 Harvey 24,295 $32,635 $72,600
7 Chicago Heights 29,598 $49,880 $107,700
8 Robbins 5,068 $35,815 $83,200
9 South Chicago Heights 4,042 $45,321 $102,500
10 Burnham 4,121 $46,382 $101,300
11 Whiting 4,801 $46,960 $141,900
12 Markham 12,401 $42,050 $92,200
13 Hammond 76,141 $46,974 $98,700
14 Riverdale 12,530 $38,355 $79,900
15 Blue Island 23,160 $51,859 $126,900
16 Summit 11,171 $46,972 $186,800
17 Dolton 22,487 $50,237 $106,200
18 Posen 5,772 $47,378 $132,600
19 Steger 9,289 $49,492 $108,100
20 Northlake 12,235 $60,495 $189,100
21 Bridgeview 15,576 $55,102 $198,900
22 Glenwood 8,846 $64,857 $129,600
23 Melrose Park 25,404 $53,596 $200,700
24 Rosemont 4,173 $56,432 $374,600
25 Thornton 2,308 $66,447 $109,200
26 Crest Hill 20,388 $58,462 $173,700
27 Maywood 23,351 $56,623 $158,900
28 Lansing 27,614 $57,659 $132,000
29 Calumet Park 8,383 $50,049 $114,100
30 West Chicago 26,998 $77,098 $247,100
31 Stone Park 4,842 $63,710 $174,400
32 Franklin Park 17,779 $67,755 $211,600
33 Worth 10,544 $59,464 $176,100
34 Cicero 81,471 $53,726 $174,400
35 Justice 12,677 $57,523 $185,500
36 Chicago Ridge 14,028 $51,555 $169,200
37 Country Club Hills 16,564 $70,306 $134,100
38 Park Forest 20,715 $56,393 $73,300
39 Countryside 5,929 $67,201 $242,700
40 South Holland 21,451 $66,859 $157,100
41 Matteson 19,374 $84,611 $174,500
42 Alsip 18,843 $58,768 $168,500
43 Schiller Park 11,499 $58,637 $228,600
44 Richton Park 13,381 $63,777 $147,200
45 Hillside 7,937 $56,019 $190,000
46 Bellwood 18,799 $63,006 $161,600
47 University Park 7,224 $62,258 $124,400
48 Broadview 7,677 $54,537 $172,000
49 Hazel Crest 13,918 $55,010 $117,600
50 Burbank 28,447 $70,052 $201,300
51 Hanover Park 37,811 $77,367 $206,400
52 Addison 36,714 $68,534 $259,000
53 Berwyn 54,850 $61,915 $227,100
54 Hometown 4,216 $51,487 $122,800
55 Bensenville 18,273 $64,401 $219,100
56 Lyons 10,338 $66,005 $175,700
57 Glendale Heights 33,863 $70,034 $203,200
58 Crestwood 10,762 $60,541 $164,700
59 Crete 8,058 $75,403 $166,500
60 Palos Hills 17,172 $64,364 $205,600
61 Romeoville 39,644 $85,888 $198,800
62 Lynwood 9,210 $76,154 $154,000
63 River Grove 9,957 $63,193 $211,600
64 Oak Lawn 55,432 $69,352 $211,500
65 Prospect Heights 15,986 $72,500 $301,100
66 Wheeling 38,684 $71,966 $202,000
67 Griffith 16,198 $67,452 $149,100
68 Niles 29,198 $63,490 $289,800
69 Warrenville 13,137 $86,462 $224,500
70 Stickney 6,607 $67,246 $184,500
71 Wood Dale 13,783 $75,521 $246,300
72 Hickory Hills 14,253 $66,272 $239,900
73 Oakbrook Terrace 2,909 $61,563 $319,400
74 Bolingbrook 74,319 $92,184 $231,100
75 Highwood 5,293 $74,875 $383,300
76 Des Plaines 58,316 $73,639 $267,200
77 Rolling Meadows 23,288 $78,609 $246,300
78 North Riverside 6,460 $55,879 $250,400
79 Harwood Heights 8,393 $67,745 $279,700
80 Schererville 28,559 $75,327 $237,500
81 Berkeley 5,079 $71,025 $175,900
82 Midlothian 14,464 $61,067 $153,600
83 Palatine 67,875 $83,495 $286,600
84 Streamwood 39,917 $88,917 $205,900
85 Elmwood Park 24,274 $63,312 $267,500
86 Carol Stream 39,447 $89,820 $257,800
87 Flossmoor 9,318 $107,271 $247,900
88 Skokie 63,300 $74,725 $324,200
89 Forest Park 13,808 $70,670 $245,900
90 Homewood 18,656 $77,013 $164,500
91 Olympia Fields 5,028 $93,350 $227,500
92 Monee 5,080 $76,638 $181,200
93 Tinley Park 56,082 $82,163 $238,200
94 Oak Forest 27,403 $78,865 $202,400
95 Westmont 24,677 $69,902 $314,400
96 Lockport 25,499 $87,817 $244,900
97 Villa Park 22,087 $79,314 $252,900
98 Norridge 14,465 $78,300 $308,300
99 Bloomingdale 21,905 $87,397 $306,400
100 Hoffman Estates 50,464 $92,423 $286,600

How Is Your Town In ?

Editor's Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don't freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the worst suburbs around Chicago.

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.