Illinois

Village of Mount Propect

Illinois

Mount Prospect

Nearest city: Chicago
Population: 54,603
Median household income: $82,504

Mount Prospect, a suburb 25 miles northwest of Chicago, was not only the best place to raise your kids in Illinois, it topped our list nationally. It has low crime, great schools, and homes for a wide range of incomes. Children have access to ball fields, hiking trails, skating rinks, indoor swimming pools, recreational centers, stores, restaurants, and multiplex movie theaters.

Runners-up:
Des Plaines
Palatine

Click here to see the 2010 version of the Best Places to Raise Your Kids