Campton Hills and Hampshire are two of the top five safest places in Illinois, and six Kane County communities made the top 10 list in their size category in ValuePenguin’s analysis of the latest FBI Crime Report for the Land of Lincoln.

According to the analysis, Huntley ranks sixth-safest and Geneva is seventh-safest among mid-sized communities with a population of 15,000 to 30,000. In the category of small communities with a population of 5,000 to 15,000, Campton Hills was third, Hampshire fifth, Pingree Grove eighth and Gilberts ninth.

The village of Bartlett, which has a footprint in Kane County, was ranked first in the category of large communities with a population of 30,000 or more.

In total, ValuePenguin analyzed FBI crime statistics for 291 Illinois communities with populations of at least 5,000, generating scores that ranged from 109 to 8,278. The crime score takes into account violent and property crime and adjusts it for population size.

“Small suburbs of Chicago with high median household incomes, low levels of poverty and high rates of home ownership dominated the top five safest places,” ValuePenguin said. “Chicago itself was not the least safest city; in fact, it was not in the bottom five. The least safest community in Illinois was a mid-sized city outside of St. Louis. You can review the report to see how all of the cities rank.”

The following is additional information from the ValuePenguin report:

5 Safest Places in Illinois

These cities have an average crime score of 143, which is 88 percent lower than their typical peer in the state. With some of its lowest total violent crime rates, these five are the safest places in the state.

1. Hawthorn Woods

This village, located 40 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, touts the professionalism and dedication of its police department for good reason. It reported zero violent crimes, and Hawthorn Woods had the third-lowest rate of property crime of any community in this research. This community is very affluent; the median household income was 2.7 times the median household income for the state, and almost 99 percent of the residents were homeowners. Hawthorn Woods has a well-educated population; almost 64 percent of its residents (25 years and over) had at least bachelor’s degree.

2. Clarendon Hills

This village is small (population of 8,684), but it offers its residents close proximity to commercial centers. It is a 30-minute drive from downtown Chicago and approximately 26 minutes to Naperville. Clarendon Hills had the lowest rate of property crime of any community in this research, and it also has a low amount of violent crime. “The Volunteer Community” had a population of mostly well-educated professionals with a median household income of over $106,000 per year.

3. Campton Hills

This suburb of over 11,000 is on the western edge of the Chicago metro area in Kane County. The Campton Hills Police Department values having a partnership with its residents. Campton Hills had only two violent crimes for the year surveyed, and it had the fifth-lowest rate of property crime. It is another affluent community where the median household income is double that of the state’s median.

4. Western Springs

Western Springs has only 13,217 people, yet it is the largest community in the top five. It is 30-minute drive west of downtown Chicago in Cook County. Residents have a Neighborhood Watch program to keep crime low. This suburb reported only two violent crimes and had a low rate of property crime for 2014. Western Springs is another affluent community with high median household income, high per capita income, and a homeownership rate of nearly 95 percent.

5. Hampshire

The smallest community in the top five is located on the northwestern edge of the Chicago metro area in Kane County. Hampshire is a fast-growing village; the population increased 10 percent from 2010 to 2015. It had only  two violent crimes reported and the sixth-lowest rate of property crimes for 2014. The median household income was approximately $25,000 above the state’s median, and Hampshire had a low level of poverty.

Population Breakdown

Although ValuePenguin adjusted for population in its crime rankings, it is still difficult to compare a small town to a large city. To account for this fact, ValuePenguin separated the safest cities into three categories: towns with populations between 5,000 and 15,000, midsize cities with populations 15,000 and 30,000, and larger cities with populations greater than 30,000. Here are the findings:

SOURCE: ValuePenquin