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.

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.

River Forest is also a college town, where lots of students live while attending area colleges. Because of the high percentage of people living in River Forest enrolled in college, River Forest has a number of services, amenities and opportunities geared towards the needs and activities of students.

River Forest is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The village’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, River Forest’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

In River Forest, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 32.16 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average. One bright side is that local public transit is widely used, so it may be an option to avoid the headache of driving in the heavy traffic by leaving the car at home and taking transit. In addition, the village is also quite pedestrian-friendly, because many neighborhoods are very dense and have amenities close enough together that people find it feasible to get around on foot.

Despite being a small village, River Forest has a lot of people using the subway to get to and from work every day. Most of these people on the subway are using it to get to good jobs in other 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 73.35% 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 $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.