Photo:Ednilson Kimura (Ed)Sauk Village is part of the Chicago area. This page covers the whole metro.
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Around Chicago
What Chicago is known for
Every year
JulTaste of Chicago: food and music festival in Grant Parkenjoyillinois.com
SepWorld Music Festival Chicago: music festival featuring global artistsenjoyillinois.com
OctBank of America Chicago Marathon: annual marathon raceenjoyillinois.com
OctChicago International Film Festival: competitive film festival screening many filmschicagofilmfestival.com
Busiest time
Summer: peak tourist and festival season with warm weathertravel.usnews.com
On a normal week
Visiting beaches along Lake Michiganen.wikipedia.org
Walking along Lake Shore Drive waterfront parksen.wikipedia.org
Spending time at North Avenue Beachdirectionallychallengedtraveler.com
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What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Chicago area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Chicago area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 1,210,359 rented homes in the Chicago area, 80% rent for under $2,000 a month and 95% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Chicago area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $2,000 to $2,998 before you get the keys.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Your first weeks in Illinois
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Illinois DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Illinois voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
144 public school districts in this county, with about 682,233 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Illinois keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $278/week about $14,500 a year | $208/week about $10,800 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $220/week about $11,400 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $189/week about $9,800 a year | $176/week about $9,200 a year |
| School-age | $83/week about $4,300 a year |
For an infant at a center: $278/week here, $283 across IL, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 15% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
73 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Chicago. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.