CHICAGO – A Chicago suburb has been named the safest and richest city in America for 2025.
What we know:
A new ranking by GoBankingRates puts Western Springs in the top spot. The study considered household income, home values, cost of living, and property and violent crime rates.
Western Springs | via Western Springs Park District
The suburb, just west of Chicago, stood out with a household mean income of $294,896, an average single-family home value of $837,238, and an annual cost of living of about $85,000. Its violent crime rate is less than one incident per 1,000 residents.
Big picture view:
Illinois saw the biggest jump in representation, with 12 cities making the Top 50, three of them in the Top 10.
Winnetka ranked No. 7, Kenilworth placed No. 8, and Libertyville, Hinsdale, Deerfield, Park Ridge, Elmhurst, Wilmette, La Grange, Glen Ellyn, and Naperville also made the cut.
By comparison, only two California cities landed in this year’s Top 50 — a sharp drop from seven in 2024 — and Florida had none.
Dig deeper:
Kenilworth, about 15 miles north of downtown Chicago, has a household mean income of $460,411 and, according to FBI data, has recorded no violent crime cases in 2025.
Winnetka has a household mean income of $457,404 and—like Western Springs—also recorded less than one violent crime incident per 1,000 residents.
The other side:
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted Chicago for its violent crime, calling it “the worst and most dangerous city in the world.”
On Tuesday, he said he plans to deploy the National Guard to the city after a deadly Labor Day weekend, though no timeline was given.
Illinois leaders quickly pushed back.
Gov. JB Pritzker accused the White House of “terror and cruelty,” while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson blamed violence on gun trafficking from “red states.”
What you can do:
If you’re interested in seeing GoBankingRates’ full ranking and methodology, click HERE.
The Source: The information in this article was obtained from GoBankingRates and previous FOX 32 reporting.
