City safety & data profile

River ForestIL

River Forest, IL is a 11K-resident city in Cook County with a median household income of $146,786.

Cook County, Illinois. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for River Forest, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. River Forest has a population larger than 8% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $687,300.

Data updated 2026-07-20

11K
Population
Top 92%
By size
$146,786
Median income
$687,300
Median home
2.7%
Poverty rate

The read on River Forest

River Forest posts a median household income higher than 92% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 8%
by median income, US cities

Where River Forest income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$146,786 Top 8% higher than 92% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). This entry sits in this band. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IL $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading River Forest, IL beyond the headline numbers

River Forest sits inside Cook County, Illinois, at roughly 41.90°N, -87.81°W. Population 11,199, $146,786 median household income. Median home value $687,300, median rent $1,554. Poverty rate 2.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: River Forest's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 29.6%, then high blood pressure at 26.6%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for River Forest from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
11,199
River Forest
Median Income
$146,786
+116% vs avg
Median Home Value
$687,300
+202% vs avg
Median Age
40
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cook County) - River Forest's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
5.2M-1%
Median Income
$83,498+53%
Median Home Value
$324,500+40%
Poverty Rate
13.5%-20%
Unemployment
7%-43%

Economics

Economics indicators for River Forest, IL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,554/mo
Poverty Rate
2.7% -81% vs avg
Unemployment 8.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 72.9%
Work From Home 26.8%
Public Transit 19.7%

Population

White 78.9%
African American 5%
Asian 5.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
29.6%
High Blood Pressure
26.6%
Obesity
24.7%
Binge Drinking
19.9%
Physical Inactivity
14.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
12.6%
Current Asthma
9.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
8.8%
Diabetes
8.1%
Current Smoking
6.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 76.4%
Annual Checkup 79%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
5.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
4.4%
Stroke
2.3%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of River Forest, IL? ▼
River Forest, IL has a population of 11,199 people, located in Cook County, Illinois.
What is the median household income in River Forest? ▼
The median household income in River Forest, IL is $146,786 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 2.7%.
What is the median home value in River Forest? ▼
The median home value in River Forest, IL is $687,300. Median rent is $1,554/month.
What are the top health concerns in River Forest? ▼
The top health indicators in River Forest include Short Sleep Duration (29.6%), High Blood Pressure (26.6%), Obesity (24.7%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in River Forest? ▼
The median age in River Forest, IL is 40 years. 72.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

River Forest, IL is located in Cook County, Illinois. With a population of 11K and a $146,786 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Safety alerts for the River Forest area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Illinois

Real-time AQI for every monitored Illinois location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Forest Park, IL 14K Elmwood Park, IL 25K Oak Park, IL 52K Maywood, IL 24K River Grove, IL 10K Melrose Park, IL 25K Berwyn, IL 56K Belmont Cragin, IL 79K
All cities in Illinois → Compare River Forest vs Forest Park → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using River Forest's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the River Forest area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare River Forest against Illinois peers on any ranking lens. Explore Illinois

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Cook County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.