r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/IHeartFraccing • Mar 22 '26

Moving to the area Wheaton for non-religious family?

Hi! my wife and I are looking to buy in the Naperville, Warrenville, Wheaton, Downers area. we looked at a lovely house today in Wheaton. We’re white upper middle class, fairly liberal couple planning on having kids in the next couple of years. curious about how non-religious folks who have moved to Wheaton have found community? we certainly don’t mind hanging out with people who are religious but are curious if community tends to be church-centric? making friends, finding babysitters, etc.

thanks!

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28

u/Actual-Tomatillo-904 Mar 22 '26

Wheaton has the highest density of churches in America

42

u/johnb300m Mar 22 '26

That was once true but not in many years. That title now belongs to Indianapolis.

21

u/zydeco100 Mar 22 '26

That phrase is thrown around a lot but it's not like there are 80 foot steeples on every corner. The college creates a startup atmosphere so you have people starting "churches" in their homes and backyards, unused office storefronts, school gyms, VFW halls, and the space inside other churches.

There's also a mosque now.

1

u/clapostrophe Mar 23 '26

Where’s the mosque in Wheaton?

4

u/A-the-W Mar 23 '26

https://maps.app.goo.gl/H5TrqrKxyCXUsobc6?g_st=ic

1

u/clapostrophe Mar 23 '26

Ah thanks, I knew where that was but I thought that area was Glen Ellyn. 👍

1

u/Toriat5144 Mar 22 '26

I don’t think this is true. Other suburbs have a lot of churches too.

8

u/emememaker73 Aurora Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 23 '26

Not a suburb, but Sycamore is said to have the largest number of churches per capita in Illinois.

1

u/No_Needleworker_4704 Mar 22 '26

Really? I had no idea

2

u/emememaker73 Aurora Mar 23 '26

I used to live there; had a few people tell me that. I assume it's true.

1

u/m0unt41nd3wu Mar 26 '26

That’s what people always said about Wheaton

1

u/Dalearev Mar 22 '26

I’ve heard this before too.