River Forest is a somewhat small village located in the state of Illinois. With a population of 11,327 people and two associated neighborhoods, River Forest is the 201st largest community in Illinois. Much of the housing stock in River Forest was built prior to World War II, 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.

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.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 22.16% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. 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.

Because of many things, River Forest is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making River Forest a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The village’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, River Forest has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, River Forest’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

One downside of living in River Forest, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 33.05 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.

Do you like to read, write and learn? If you move to River Forest, you'll likely find that many of your neighbors like to as well. River Forest is one of the more educated communities in America, with a full 76.22% of its adults having a college degree or even advanced degree, compared to a national average across all communities of 21.84%.

The per capita income in River Forest in 2022 was $89,337, which is wealthy relative to Illinois and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $357,348 for a family of four.

River Forest is a somewhat 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 Langs. of India.