A small village about 15 miles southwest of Chicago is the “safest and richest” place to live in the nation, according to a recent report.
A Dec. 31 analysis from financial company GoBankingRates, “The Safest and Richest US Cities To Live in 2025,” named Western Springs to it No. 1 spot. The village performed well for low property and violent crime rates, as well as high for average income, with a lower cost of living than the second- and third-place locales on the list.
Western Springs was one of three spots in the state to make the top 10 for GoBankingRates’ richest and safest cities. Winnetka and Kenilworth also did particularly well.
To compare the cities, GoBankingRates used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, real estate site Zillow, the FBI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and more on property and violent crime rates, a “livability” score, household mean income and average total cost of living. The top 1,000 U.S. cities by average household income were evaluated.
Western Springs has an average household income of more than $294,000, the report found, with an average total cost of living of $84,810.
The village is home to 13 parks, according to the Western Springs Park District, with opportunities to play basketball, pickleball, tennis and softball, as well as picnicking. Other attractions include the Theatre of Western Springs and the downtown area.
The Metra train system offers service from Western Springs to Chicago’s Union Station in about 40 minutes, one-way.
See the rest of the ranking here.
