Census place 1764304

River Forest

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: River Forest village

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in River Forest.

According to the 2025 estimate, River Forest has a population of 11,393 and 4,594 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 225 covered Illinois places are: median home value is $687,300, above the comparison median of $274,000; population density is 4,594/sq mi, above the comparison median of 2,707/sq mi; and median household income is $146,786, above the comparison median of $90,282. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$687,300
Above the comparison median of $274,000
population density
4,594/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 2,707/sq mi
median household income
$146,786
Above the comparison median of $90,282

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare River Forest's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
11,393
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.2%
Population estimate
Density
4,594/sq mi
2.5 sq mi land area
Median age
40 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$146,786
Median home value
$687,300
Median gross rent
$1,554
Bachelor’s degree or higher
72.9%
Typical commute
32.5 min
Drive-alone commute
41.8%
Public transit commute
19.7%
Walked to work
5.8%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
12.3%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
88.8%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
56.9%
Unemployed residents 16+
5%
Working from home
26.8%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
95.9%
Homes built 2020+
0%
Households without a vehicle
5.1%
Households with children
33.4%
Residents with a disability
7.8%
Residents without insurance
2.9%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Cook County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
10
Severe Storm declarations
4
Flood declarations
3
Snowstorm declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: CHICAGO OHARE INTL AP (7 mi from place center)
Average high
59.5°F
Average low
43°F
Annual rainfall
37.9"
Annual snowfall
38.4"

Month by month

A year in River Forest.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Tarrytown, NY

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
11,890
Median home
$685,300

Dobbs Ferry, NY

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
11,645
Median home
$765,500

Sleepy Hollow, NY

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
11,474
Median home
$746,800

Keep exploring

Compare River Forest with Tarrytown