River Forest is a medium-sized village located in the state of Illinois. With a population of 11,227 people and two associated neighborhoods, River Forest is the 201st largest community in Illinois. River Forest has a large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic villages in the country. River Forest home prices are not only among the most expensive in Illinois, but River Forest real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.River Forest is a decidedly white-collar village, with fully 92.47% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, River Forest is a village of professionals, managers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in River Forest who work in management occupations (21.17%), legal occupations (10.49%), and healthcare (10.41%). Also of interest is that River Forest has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. Of important note, River Forest is also a village of artists. River Forest has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape River Forest’s character. A relatively large number of people in River Forest telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 23.77% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.In addition, River Forest is a college town. There are a lot of students in River Forest attending college, and as a result River Forest provides a number of services, amenities and opportunities geared to the needs and activities of students. Because of many things, River Forest is a very good place for families to consider. With an enviable combination of good schools, low crime, college-educated neighbors who tend to support education because of their own experiences, and a high rate of home ownership in predominantly single-family properties, River Forest really has some of the features that families look for when choosing a good community to raise children. Is River Forest perfect? Of course not, and if you like frenetic nightlife, it will be far from your cup of tea. But overall this is a solid community, with many things to recommend it as a family-friendly place to live. One downside of living in River Forest, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 32.16 minutes every day commuting to work. It is, however, a pedestrian-friendly village. Many of its neighborhoods are dense enough and have amenities close enough together that people find it feasible to get around on foot. In addition, local public transit is widely used. For those who would prefer to avoid driving entirely and leave their car at home, it may be an option to use the transit instead. Even though River Forest is a smaller village, it has many people who hop on public transportation – mostly the subway for their daily commute to work. Typically, these people are commuting to good jobs in the surrounding cities.If knowledge is power, River Forest is a pretty powerful place. 73.35% of the adults in River Forest have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns. The per capita income in River Forest in 2022 was $92,547, which is wealthy relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $370,188 for a family of four. River Forest is a very ethnically-diverse village. The people who call River Forest home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of River Forest residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in River Forest include Irish, German, Italian, English, and Polish. The most common language spoken in River Forest is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.
