Best Places to Live Near Chicago: 5 Cities That Keep the Windy City Accessible

I’m Nicole, you’re ApartmentHomeLiving.com Local Expert for Chicago. There’s no denying I love the Windy City. Yet there’s also no denying that rental homes in Chicago can be pricy, small, and hard to find. That’s why many renters choose to look for rentals near Chicago rather than directly in the city. Often, by shopping outside the city, you can find a home that meets your budget, gives you more space, and remains accessible to the city.

Current Rental Pricing for Apartments in the Chicago Metro Area

So what local towns do I recommend? Since the Windy City has over 200 suburbs, give or take, narrowing down your options can be difficult. These five are the cities I recommend for their accessibility, amenities, and rental options. If you’re looking for apartments near Chicago, you’ll find much to love about each of these towns.

Arlington Heights

First up is Arlington Heights, which is 36 miles northwest of Chicago. This town pairs a bustling downtown with convenient public transit access and moderately priced rental properties. If you’re renting on a budget and need to be close to Chicago’s downtown, while minimizing your rental expenses, this is a city worth looking at.

What Makes Arlington Heights Shine

There are many perks I’ve found to Arlington Heights. The most important perk is the short commute to Chicago. You can find yourself downtown in less than 30 minutes, depending on traffic, or you can choose to ride the Metra from the Arlington Heights stop. Yet even though it’s close to the city, Arlington Heights is quieter and has a decidedly residential feel. You won’t feel like you’re in a big metro area if you live here.

One of the things I love about Arlington Heights is its food scene. There are over 100 restaurants in the city, but the dining district along Vail Avenue and Campbell Street is probably the best place to experience it. You can walk from restaurant to restaurant and literally eat your way across the globe, all within a few blocks. I love to come in the summer for Arlington Alfresco, when the city closes a few of its streets to expand patio dining along the district.

Downtown Arlington Heights is also about art and culture. The Metropolis Performing Arts Center rivals the theater district downtown for its live theater performances, and you’ll also find the Arlington Heights Historical Museum here. A long list of free community events means this area is alive with people enjoying their town year-round.

Who It’s Best For

Arlington Heights is best for the budget-conscious resident who needs access to the city but wants a quiet residential place to come home to at night. While rental costs are higher than national averages, compared to Chicago’s downtown, they’re quite a bit lower. Its rich restaurant scene and arts culture make it popular with younger adults starting their careers in Chicago.

Naperville

Next we will look at Naperville. The beautiful downtown, award-winning parks, and superb schools all make the town of Naperville stand out. This is one I visit regularly, and every time I do, I find something to make me smile. It’s also filled with economic opportunities and provides a reasonable, though a bit longer, commute to Chicago. Naperville is 33 miles northwest of the city and convenient to I-88.

What Makes Naperville Shine

Naperville has to make a spot on this list simply because of its downtown. It’s one of my favorites in the suburbs with its mix of shops and restaurants, and a nice (and free) parking garage. Flower-lined streets are often filled with people walking their dogs, while upscale and local shops provide interesting places to shop.

Just outside of the downtown is a series of streets lined with beautiful homes. Yet mixed in with those are comfortable apartments and rentals as well. You’ll find many rental options, from cozy studios overlooking a business district to single-family properties in tree-lined residential areas. Naperville rentals also include several upscale apartment complexes.

In Naperville, you’ll also find a scenic Riverwalk to explore. It has its share of museums, too, including the DuPage Children’s Museum and the Naperville Fine Art Center. Overall, I find it a place that makes me want to settle down and establish roots, surrounded by neighbors who also value their local community.

Recreational opportunities are abundant in this suburb, too. It has multiple forest preserves, which can be hard to find in urban areas, as well as parks that have won several awards.

Who It’s Best For

If I had to find a drawback to Naperville, it would be the higher cost of real estate in this popular suburb. For this reason, Naperville works quite well for business-minded individuals who want a suburban community to call home but need the economic opportunities of a larger city. It’s also helpful to be someone who doesn’t mind a short commute, because this suburb is farther away than some of the others.

Evanston

For those whose top priority is city access, I recommend Evanston. It’s just 19 miles from the heart of downtown, making it one of the closest cities on our list. The city has a distinctly separate vibe from the downtown area, but it offers multiple Metra stations, a CTA line, and a quick drive for those so inclined. It’s also on the lakefront, which is a perk.

What Makes Evanston Shine

That lakefront lifestyle is definitely one of the biggest draws of Evanston. With an apartment or rental home here, you can spend every weekend on the beach during the summer. If you’re into biking, there’s a lakefront trail that’s a lovely spot to enjoy that pastime. You may even be able to find apartments in Evanston that have lakefront views.

Of course, life in Evanston isn’t just about the beach. There’s also a unique cultural side to this suburb. One of my favorite places to catch a creative performance is at The Actors Gymnasium. This location teaches circus performers how to take to the sky, and there are regular live performances you can enjoy. The shows mix circus performances with theater, which is my personal favorite. There are multiple community theaters here, as well as the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts on the Northwestern University campus.

If theater’s not your thing, you’ll still like Evanston. Several corporations call this suburb home, and it has nine separate business districts that house everything from dining to local shops and national chain stores. The architecture here is also a benefit, as it’s a little different from what you’ll find downtown. The character in the homes and apartments add to the appeal of making the move to Evanston.

Who It’s Best For

Because Evanston sits on the edge of Chicago, it’s ideal for those who work primarily in the city. Even though it’s a separate city and has its own culture, it can feel almost like an extension of the city because of its close proximity. But don’t call it a Chicago neighborhood. Residents know that Evanston is distinct and separate from the larger metro area.

Clarendon Hills

Just 22 miles from Chicago, Clarendon Hills provides its residents with a high quality of life in a suburban setting. With many acres of parks, a strong school system, and varied housing options, it has many things that make it appealing to those looking to escape the busy city scene without sacrificing convenience.

What Makes Clarendon Hills Shine

Frequently ranked among the top 5 suburbs of Chicago and even one of the best places to live in the state, Clarendon Hills sits west of Chicago, convenient to I-294 and I-88. This makes the city highly accessible. Yet with under 9,000 residents, it has a very different feel than the city proper, and that appeals to people looking for a more village-like feel.

As part of this small-town feel, Clarendon Hills provides its residents with many local events, including concerts at the park in the summer. IN fact, at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, you may even feel like you’ve stepped into a Hallmark Christmas Movie because of all the quaint charm. Its downtown is lined with eateries and boutiques and is quite walkable. You’ll find it is a pleasant place to spend a weekend.

As far as rentals near Chicago go, you’ll find a few options here. They aren’t quite as abundant as some of the larger cities, but there are still a number of apartments and homes for rent here, including condos and single-family homes. I appreciate the varied real estate options. New builds and historic remodels are both available for renters looking to settle here.

Who It’s Best For

I recommend looking for rentals near Chicago in Clarendon Hills for someone who wants to find a single-family home to rent near Chicago. There are quite a few rental homes, giving you the option to have a larger rental without a long drive to the city.

Oak Brook

Finally, Oak Brook is a great option to round out my list. It’s 20 miles west and slightly south of Chicago and near some of the metro area’s top amenities, including the Brookfield Zoo. Upscale rentals dominate the market here, but you’ll find some smaller and more affordable options as well.

What Makes Oak Brook Shine

Oak Brook offers many of the same amenities as a large city, but is small and comfortable. For example, I enjoy visiting the Oakbrook Center, one of the largest outdoor malls in the country. Not only does it have many luxury name-brand stores, but it’s also dotted with art and water features.

Life in Oak Brook also means many opportunities to enjoy time outdoors. I love to hike, so Mayslake Forest Preserve is an appealing spot. You’ll find plenty of smaller green spaces here. If you just need a local park to take a walk with your dog, chances are there’s one not far from your apartment or rental home.

Oak Brook has a large base of commercial businesses, and many of them have corporate headquarters in or near the city. In fact, it’s one of the top corporate hub regions in Chicagoland, in spite of its relatively small size. Not only does this mean job options, but it also helps keep housing costs a bit lower. It has some of the lowest residential property taxes in the county, and that ends up driving down rental costs a bit. However, the rental market here is more upscale. If you’re looking to rent a luxury apartment or single-family home, you’ll get more for your money by choosing Oak Brook.

Who It’s Best For

Because of the economic opportunities found in Oak Brook, this rental market is ideal for young professionals and business people. There are ample opportunities to succeed in business here, and if you do need to commute, you can easily make it to the city within 30 minutes.

How to Choose the Best Places to Live Near Chicago

As you look at this list, consider whether living in the suburbs or the city itself makes the most sense for you. There are trade-offs to both choices. Living in a suburb trades a shorter commute for the quiet nature of a residential community. Living in the city means all of the amenities of Chicago are at your fingertips, including its art, business, and recreation options.

If you do decide to move out of the city, how can you choose from these interesting and engaging neighborhoods? First, consider your goals. Are you looking for a place to settle down for the long term, or are you renting for a while as you decide where in Chicago is best for you? Do you want a small-town feel or a large suburban center? Are culture and art important to you, or do you prefer to live somewhere with a rich culinary scene and plenty of shopping? You should also consider your budget, schooling needs, and commuting options.

By weighing these questions and answering them truthfully, you’ll quickly see which city makes the most sense for you. And, if you choose one from this list, I’m certain you’ll be happy with your choice.