Source: WalletHub

Batavia is Kane County’s best city for families, according to an analysis by WalletHub.com.

But 10 other Kane County communities made the list of the top 100 in the survey, including Algonquin, Bartlett, Montgomery, St. Charles, South Elgin, Geneva, Huntley, North Aurora, Aurora and Carpentersville.

Of course, while we celebrate the good news about Kane County communities, we always take these lists with a grain of salt. Not every community in Illinois was included, for starters. And one can always argue whether these or any other data truly can measure “quality of life.”

WalletHub’s Analysis

Rubbing Abe Lincoln’s “lucky” nose might bring good fortune in Illinois, but the Prairie State already offers plenty of incentives for families or those looking to put down roots.

For starters, Illinois boasts the fifth-largest state economy by GDP. Even with the notably high outward migration rates among residents over the years, Illinois continues to prove its economic resilience. Pair that with rising home values, one of the top 10 school systems in the U.S. and a prestigious roster of employers that includes 34 of the Fortune 500 companies, and the combination yields a gratifying quality of life.

Granted, the Land of Lincoln is no paradise by any stretch of the word. The winters can be harsh — really harsh. But if your New Year’s resolution is to spend more time with family anyway, you can bet on ample indoor opportunities with the kids. Hopefully the additional cash you’ll be able to play with will compensate for the lack of outdoor fun. The state’s median family income stands at $71,796, which is nearly $6,000 more than the median family income in the U.S.

To identify the Illinois cities that hold the most promise for your clan, WalletHub’s analysts compared 162 cities in the state across 21 key indicators of ideal family conditions. The data set ranges from the percentage of families with young children to median family income to housing affordability. Scroll down for the results and methodology.

Go to WalletHub.com for the full chart, which shows the ‘Family Life & Fun’ Rank, ‘Education, Health & Safety’ Rank, ‘Affordability’ Rank, ‘Socioeconomic Environment’ Rank for each community.

Rank / City — Total Score

1. Morton, IL — 72.67
2. Deerfield, IL — 72.08
3. Washington, IL — 69.88
4. Libertyville, IL — 69.76
5. O’Fallon, IL — 69.25
6. Hinsdale, IL — 69.04
7. Cary, IL — 68.51
8. Lake in the Hills, IL — 68.01
9. Frankfort, IL — 67.23
10. Naperville, IL — 66.94
11. Yorkville, IL — 66.55
12. Edwardsville, IL — 66.50
13. Elmhurst, IL — 66.24
14. Oswego, IL — 65.87
15. Lake Zurich, IL — 65.54
16. Batavia, IL — 65.34
17. Lake Forest, IL — 65.30
18. Glen Ellyn, IL — 64.65
19. Normal, IL — 64.56
20. Grayslake, IL — 64.53
21. La Grange, IL — 64.48
22. Algonquin, IL — 64.31
23. Bartlett, IL — 64.24
24. Shorewood, IL — 64.21
25. Montgomery, IL — 64.07
26. Wilmette, IL — 64.03
27. Vernon Hills, IL — 64.02
28. St. Charles, IL — 64.00
29. New Lenox, IL — 63.97
30. Wheaton, IL — 63.97
31. Buffalo Grove, IL — 63.77
32. Crystal Lake, IL — 63.58
33. Plainfield, IL — 63.48
34. Northbrook, IL — 63.14
35. South Elgin, IL — 63.11
36. Glenview, IL — 63.05
37. Geneva, IL — 62.97
38. Bloomington, IL — 62.91
39. Lockport, IL — 62.59
40. Woodridge, IL — 62.34
41. Mokena, IL — 62.19
42. Oak Park, IL — 61.96
43. Carol Stream, IL — 61.70
44. Highland Park, IL — 61.60
45. Lemont, IL — 61.59
46. Huntley, IL — 61.42
47. Gurnee, IL — 60.68
48. Homer Glen, IL — 60.63
49. Bourbonnais, IL — 60.55
50. Mundelein, IL — 60.40
51. Downers Grove, IL — 60.25
52. Round Lake, IL — 59.94
53. Oak Forest, IL — 59.81
54. Macomb, IL — 59.79
55. Quincy, IL — 59.75
56. Arlington Heights, IL — 59.74
57. Godfrey, IL — 59.52
58. Jacksonville, IL — 59.51
59. Palatine, IL — 59.49
60. Bradley, IL — 59.49
61. Roselle, IL — 59.33
62. Park Ridge, IL — 59.31
63. Hanover Park, IL — 59.23
64. North Aurora, IL — 59.07
65. Hoffman Estates, IL — 58.99
66. McHenry, IL — 58.76
67. Woodstock, IL — 58.67
68. Mount Prospect, IL — 58.48
69. Sterling, IL — 58.33
70. Brookfield, IL — 58.26
71. Pekin, IL — 58.00
72. West Chicago, IL — 57.68
73. Orland Park, IL — 57.67
74. Sycamore, IL — 57.40
75. Round Lake Beach, IL — 57.31
76. Charleston, IL — 57.30
77. Schaumburg, IL — 57.10
78. Springfield, IL — 56.95
79. Ottawa, IL — 56.80
80. Machesney Park, IL — 56.78
81. East Peoria, IL — 56.77
82. Streamwood, IL — 56.77
83. Bolingbrook, IL — 56.74
84. Darien, IL — 56.59
85. Rolling Meadows, IL — 56.46
86. Marion, IL — 56.38
87. Evanston, IL — 56.32
88. Champaign, IL — 56.32
89. Tinley Park, IL — 56.27
90. Moline, IL — 56.24
91. Homewood, IL — 56.05
92. Villa Park, IL — 55.90
93. Lombard, IL — 55.79
94. Elk Grove Village, IL — 55.68
95. Mattoon, IL — 55.63
96. Loves Park, IL — 55.55
97. Lisle, IL — 55.00
98. Romeoville, IL — 54.96
99. Aurora, IL — 54.73
100. Carpentersville, IL — 54.72
     

Methodology

To help families find the most family-friendly cities in the Prairie State, WalletHub’s analysts compared 162 cities across four key dimensions: 1) Family Life & Fun, 2) Education, Health & Safety, 3) Affordability and 4) Socioeconomic Environment.

With regard to our sample, please note the following:

• “City” refers to city proper and excludes surrounding metro areas.
• Other cities were excluded from the sample due to limited data access.

First, WalletHub compiled 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was given a value between 0 and 100, wherein 100 is the best value for that metric and 0 is the worst.

WalletHub then calculated the overall score for each city and finally ranked them using the weighted average across all metrics.

SOURCE: WalletHub.com