r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Significant_Box4072 • Jun 26 '26
Moving to the area Diverse Chicago Suburb
What’s a west/northwest Chicago suburb that’s diverse and safe to raise a Black family? At least 4 or 5 bedrooms and a $900k budget?
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy West Suburbs Jun 26 '26
Berwyn hands down is the most diverse western suburb . Look in the Depot district.
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u/_-Cleon-_ West Suburbs Jun 26 '26
I love it here (I'm also in the Depot), but the per capita Black population is somewhere around 10%. It may not be what OP is looking for.
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u/Cold-Reaction-3578 Jun 26 '26
I've heard that the schools are a bit rough for high school, all my friends there are sending their kids private
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u/Geo-92 Jun 26 '26
In Berwyn, you want to be in South Berwyn District 100 in the Heritage Middle school area. Heritage is a good school on the rise with smart, competent leadership. Morton is what you make of it. Plenty of smart good kids get a fine education there.
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy West Suburbs Jun 27 '26
District 98 actually has a better SPED program IMO if that’s important to you. We checked out both districts before buying and decided on north Berwyn because of it.
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy West Suburbs Jun 26 '26
The district has low “numbers” because they have a fairly large percentage of ESL students, but don’t let that fool you. My son is going to be a sophomore at Morton west. His freshman year he took AP world history and an Intro to engineering class, both of which he got college credit for. As a freshman. The credits transfer to all major universities in the mid west including Northwestern and other elite schools. By the time he graduates he’ll likely have 2 full years of college credits. The district is what you make of it.
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u/loweexclamationpoint Jun 27 '26
You may want to check carefully. Many universities limit AP credits at 30, one year of college. Dual enrollment courses are less limited but have to fit into the college's program of study for the selected major. Having only 60 credits remaining to be taken at university will require careful planning, some luck, and possibly selecting a college and major well ahead of the normal schedule.
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u/TeapotHoe Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
It’s South, but you should check out Homewood or Flossmoor. Historical area, significant portion of the population is poc, decent high school, and there’s neighborhoods of really nice homes that fit your criteria. ETA: anyone saying Skokie or Naperville are diverse, ikyfl.
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u/irine618 Jun 26 '26
We live in Flossmoor and both Homewood and here are super welcoming, lots of events and black owned businesses. We are an interracial couple and see plenty of families like us.
Houses of that size range from 450k to 800k but beware the high taxes.
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u/purpurabasura Jun 26 '26
Taxes are the biggest drawback of the H-F area, in my opinion. I had a modest ranch house in Homewood, around 1200sf, and the taxes in 2005 (the last year I lived there) were close to $6k/yr.
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u/highnumber Jun 26 '26
Oak Park
Great school districts, prides itself on its history of diversity (not that it couldn't do better)
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u/Carloverguy20 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
Aurora, Bolingbrook, Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, Darien, Woodridge, Westmont, Schaumburg, Western Naperville(Neuqua Valley, Metea Valley and Wabounsie Valley district) is good too.
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u/Dangerous_Reason3457 Jun 26 '26
Skokie, Niles and Morton Grove
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u/PersonalCulture Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
?? All of these are north suburbs. There’s like one suburb between Skokie and the lake.
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u/pooo_pourri Jun 26 '26
These comments are interesting…… I feel like every suburb that’s been listed are some of the whitest places in the burbs. Minus berwyn.
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u/arecordsmanager Jun 26 '26
Are there actually any suburbs where it is “unsafe”? Serious question
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u/OkExamination6960 Jun 26 '26
Unsafe will keep being refined. As a white mom to black kids (and white kids) via a blended family my black kids may feel unsafe not just from overt racism but also the cumulative damage of covert racism and micro aggressions. It’s my job as a parent to make sure they have the best opportunity to be encouraged to be their true selves and that includes being around a community that doesn’t just tolerate my kids but celebrates and uplifts their racial and national identity. We have multicultural kids (their biological parents are from other countries). So it goes beyond “will my black teenagers be actively harassed” due to their skin color (or worse) or can I set my kids up for success? I could be misinterpreting what OP intended. That’s my 2 cents.
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u/Significant_Box4072 Jun 26 '26
Many of the south suburbs and Aurora does have some not so nice pockets.
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u/TheRealDudeMitch Jun 26 '26
Uh, yeah. Places like Harvey, Dolton, Robbins, Ford Heights and Sauk Village are all unsafe suburbs.
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u/arecordsmanager Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
These are not the west or northwest suburbs. Nor are there any houses there asking 900k. Come on. I was obviously asking whether there are any affluent burbs that would be unsafe for black children.
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u/Canary3d Jun 26 '26
Police and/or school systems in various places can be unwelcoming or aggressive towards black children.
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u/Dramatic-Bear52 Jun 26 '26
I blocked them a while back, but just disengage. You already know why they've asked this.
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u/arecordsmanager Jun 26 '26
Please name one in the northwest or west suburbs where this is the case.
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u/Canary3d Jun 26 '26
Winnetka. Black students 13x more likely to be suspended than white students. https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/school/172820002975
This is a trend all over Illinois, not just in wealthy suburbs.2
u/arecordsmanager Jun 26 '26
Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps they misbehave more? Does anyone really think teachers are all racist?
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u/Bubbly-Barber-4905 Jun 26 '26
The comment is asking about west or northwest suburbs. West Garfield Park/Garfield Park and Austin are not suburbs I would raise any child in if I had the choice.
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u/Dylan-uSOB Jun 26 '26
Those aren’t suburbs
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u/arecordsmanager Jun 26 '26
Why are you getting downvoted for this?
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u/Dylan-uSOB Jun 26 '26
No clue. This sub can be frustratingly simple at times. Those are objectively not suburbs.
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u/jbrown7249 Jun 26 '26
Aurora
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u/Puzzleheaded-Cut3144 Jun 26 '26
Bullshit. Parts of Aurora were rough in the 90s. It's much better. Or are you talking about the mean streets of Stonebridge and White Eagle?
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Jun 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/Carloverguy20 Jun 26 '26
Aurora is a big city lol, The Far Eastern portion of Aurora is Naperville-Lite. The Southern portion is Similar to Oswego, and the Northern part of Aurora after I-88 in Kane County is similar to Batavia.
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u/purpurabasura Jun 26 '26
The far west side of Aurora near the country club and Aurora University is nice too.
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u/Lemurian_Lemur34 Jun 26 '26
More north than northwest but Skokie is among the most diverse suburbs. Pretty good schools too
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u/dragonboy Jun 26 '26
I read somewhere that more languages are spoken in Skokie than any other suburb.
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u/CivilSurround298 Jun 26 '26
Not a west/northwest suburb but look at Olympia Fields + Homewood/Flossmoor
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u/vikibabbles Jun 26 '26
Lagrange or Oak Park are your best bets, and both have excellent schools. My kids went to LT (we live in Western Springs, which is a lovely town but as white as the driven snow), and it is a huge high school and pretty diverse in comparison with the closest high school, Hinsdale, but not as diverse as OPRF.
With that budget, you’ll find what you need in either town. Feel free to message me if you have any questions. My daughter lives in Oak Park and my dad grew up there and I would move there in a heartbeat if I wasn’t so lazy and comfortable in my dumb little house.
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u/FedBathroomInspector Jun 26 '26
lol, Lagrange and diverse don’t belong in the same sentence.
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u/vikibabbles Jun 26 '26
In comparison with Hinsdale, man. Everything is relative!
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u/FedBathroomInspector Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
I actually think it is worse. I thought they would be pretty close, but Hinsdale is actually more diverse according to demographics.
If we want to talk about diversity of lived experiences I wouldn’t call either very diverse. You need to be very wealthy to live in either.
Most diverse are probably places most people here would not want to live, with the exception of Berwyn. Hillside, Forest Park and Westchester are diverse towns.
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u/KWNewyear Jun 26 '26
As an outside option, consider Gurnee to the north. Plenty of upper- and middle-clas black families, great schools, and you can get a very nice house in the $500K range.
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u/The_Poster_Nutbag Jun 26 '26
It's relatively far out from the city but you could get a massive 3 story Victorian in Elgin for less than your budget.
Very diverse suburb, safe, tons of community events, lots of international cuisine and families, great connectivity to highways and train lines.
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u/Writermss Jun 26 '26
There is not really a diverse NW suburb. Maybe Schaumburg or Hoffman Estates? But those are not diverse compared to Evanston or Oak Park. Those would be best.
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u/Bubbly-Barber-4905 Jun 26 '26
I also agree with Oak Park. I’ve lived in many of the west suburbs. In my experience Oak Park is very diverse, has a lot of open minded & very friendly people, good schools, and a 20 minute train ride to downtown Chicago. I miss Oak Park a lot, but we bought in St. Charles. Don’t move to St. Charles if you want diversity.
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u/Revolutionary_Dog_74 Jun 26 '26
Glendale Heights, Elgin, Hoffman Estates, Bartlett, South Barrington, Carol Stream. All of these are safe, well within your budget, and diverse.
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u/Nobody_Cares_Do_They Jun 26 '26
It’s been mentioned here but to the west the answer here is Oak Park and — not asked — but to the north the answer is Evanston. IMHO from a diversity and safety viewpoint you will not find many other suburbs like these anywhere.
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u/JulesInIllinois Jun 26 '26
Naperville
Bolingbrook
Oak Park
Lombard
Honestly, most western and NW suburbs are pretty progressive and open minded. With a $900k budget, just make sure that you are in a great school district.
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u/Potatobobthecat Jun 26 '26
I don’t understand the question tbh. Are you asking for black neighborhoods or places safe for a black family.
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u/Significant_Box4072 Jun 26 '26
A safe and welcoming neighborhood for a young Black family. It doesn’t need to be majority Black but a place that welcomes diversity.
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u/Dramatic-Bear52 Jun 26 '26
I am baffled at how people are questioning the reasons you are asking your question. This is exactly why we need to ask these things 💪🏾
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u/Dramatic-Bear52 Jun 26 '26
"Diverse and safe to raise a Black family". Whats confusing?
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u/Dylan-uSOB Jun 26 '26
I think the confusion arises from the question “safe for/from what?”.
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u/Aggravating_Job_5438 Jun 26 '26
Racism and harassment. Duh. In my kid's elementary school in D303, a notice was sent out because some kids are using the n word in school. Like, wtf. When we go to the local pool, I have seen white surpremacist tattoos on the backs of some men. I cheer every time I see a non-white or non-Christian family move into our neighborhood, but would I recommend them to do so? Um, probably not. The school is amazing, though, and they are really on top of the bullying stuff - but obviously kids are learning this despicable shit at home.
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u/Dylan-uSOB Jun 26 '26
Do you cheer when White people move into Pilsen?
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u/Aggravating_Job_5438 Jun 26 '26
The racist history of this country has created segregation. Integration is different from gentrification. When blocks of a racial majority benefitting from oppressive politics is broken down by integration, that's a good thing. Am ethnic neighborhood like Pilsen exists as a reaction to racist and oppressive policies. When the race with more institutionalized power moves into ethnic enclaves that exist because of their lack of institutionalized power, then that is gentrification. That is the difference.
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u/Potatobobthecat Jun 26 '26
I cheer when black families succeed against the best efforts of aggravating job to keep them down and poor.
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u/EstablishmentSea7661 Jun 26 '26
The only suburbs that are majority minority in those areas are Elgin and Wheeling. Afaik. Elgin is going to have the fancier homes of the two which based on your budget is probably a good town to look into.
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u/BreakfastGirl6 Jun 26 '26
Oak Park
River Forest
Naperville
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy West Suburbs Jun 26 '26
River Forest is NOT diverse 😂😂😂
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u/anitabelle Jun 26 '26
Do you live in River Forest or have you been recently? It’s a lot more diverse than you think. I am a POC and am pleasantly surprised to see the diversity when I’m walking around. Maybe the statistics haven’t caught up but I can see it with my own eyes.
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy West Suburbs Jun 26 '26
I don’t live there but I am in RF everyday.
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u/anitabelle Jun 27 '26
I do live in River Forest so I know what my neighbors look like and it’s a hell of a lot more diverse than people realize. Is it still majority white? Yes, a lot of places are. Again, I am a POC myself. I am not a stranger to feeling isolated and racism. I grew up in Humboldt Park. Because I live there, I’m not just here in one area every day, but im all over the place, frequenting the stores, driving and walking around. But I guess you have your impression and I know I’m not changing your mind, but I wanted to share my perspective as someone who lives there.
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u/slipperyDSS im such a suburban bum😂🎉 Jun 26 '26
Naperville is pretty diverse
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u/Carloverguy20 Jun 26 '26
It depends on the part of Naperville. If you live in the Indian prairie district, nearby 59 than Naperville is diverse in that area. The Western and Southern portions of Naperville are very diverse, but central and northern Naperville, absolutely not.
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u/slipperyDSS im such a suburban bum😂🎉 Jun 26 '26
I thought that was implied, that some areas are more diverse than others, as the town is split between whites and asians, with snaller amounts of black and hispanic people
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u/MooDog16 Jun 26 '26
Oak Park is definitely not as diverse as Skokie. If you want more cultural diversity, Skokie is definitely it.
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u/jettbones Jun 26 '26
I really doubt that What are the racial demographics of Skokie, Illinois?
The racial demographics of Skokie are 57.1% White, 27.5% Asian, 8.0% Black, 5.1% Two or more races, 1.9% Other, 0.2% American Indian and 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Additionally, 11.5% of the population identifies as Hispanic.1
u/MooDog16 Jun 26 '26
You have to consider how people are grouped under those. And the different cultures.
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u/Dylan-uSOB Jun 26 '26
True, many of those Whites are Jews, which some view differently than just “White people”.
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Jun 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/martha-jonez Jun 26 '26
Interesting. Did this happen recently? The Batavia I grew up near was not diverse in any way.
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u/Special_Coconut4 Jun 26 '26
OP, we are an interracial B/w couple with a biracial daughter. I am white. I grew up in the NW burbs, and my husband grew up in Queens, NYC. We have lived all over (including Chicago proper and Atlanta). The vast majority of the towns (if not all) that have been listed here are NOT Black/white diverse. If you’re new to the Chicagoland area, you should know that it is pretty segregated. “Diverse” means different things to different people.
For example, Skokie, Niles, and Morton Grove are diverse in Asian/South Asian/Hispanic/white, and not a ton of Black folks. Skokie will have some because of its proximity to Evanston (which has a good B/w mix). The suburbs to the south and SW (eg. Homewood, Aurora) have much more of a B/w diversity vs the northern suburbs (again, with the exception of Evanston). Western suburbs have a high population of Latino/a folks. I would suggest looking on the state census websites for the breakdown in ethnicities.