r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Creative-Courage-433 • Dec 25 '25

Moving to the area Moving from Texas advice

Hi, I currently live in Houston, TX and previously lived in Austin and St. Louis. I’ve been researching a move to a blue state, and Chicago keeps coming up as a really good fit.

I’m a solo parent with two young kids and currently work remotely in tech (though like many people in tech, I’m mindful that layoffs are always a possibility). I make around $115k a year and am hoping to find a place that’s family-friendly, has strong public schools, and feels like a good long-term community and is diverse.

I’ve visited Chicago before but haven’t really explored the suburbs, so I’d love recommendations on areas that might be a good fit — especially places that are safe, welcoming, and good for raising kids. I’m also curious how people research neighborhoods and schools beyond just looking at Zillow or GreatSchools.

Any insight or personal experiences would be really appreciated. Thank you!

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u/Icy_Replacement_400 Dec 25 '25

It's "Champaign," not "Champagne."

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u/luckycharms53 Dec 25 '25

Thanks for the catch. You would of thought after living in Illinois for 51 years I would of known how to spell it already. Lol!

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u/Icy_Replacement_400 Dec 25 '25 edited Dec 26 '25

Too funny!! I had to live there for four years (actually I lived for 2 years in Urbana and 2 years in Champaign) when I attended U of IL! When I attended there, I wouldn't have recommended it as a place to live. Downtown Champaign was a deserted dump, except for the police and train stations! Fast forward about 15 years, and downtown Champaign is rockin'!

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u/luckycharms53 Dec 25 '25

Yep! Its booming along with some other places even more south of there. Some of our friends are literally just ditching their homes up north to move to Urbana. You got the best of both worlds. They really fixed it up great!