Worth and Park Forest receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Worth
Park Forest
Opportunity
23 · Bottom 3%
vs24 · Bottom 3%
Growth
39 · Bottom 30%
vs43 · Bottom 36%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs80 · Bottom 49%
Schools
49 · Bottom 47%
vs36 · Bottom 30%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 34%
vs46 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Worth | Park Forest | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,700 | 21,156 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,288 | $61,072 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,106 | $30,021 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,517/sq mi | 4,264/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $215,000 | $115,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,169 | $1,365 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 65.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 8.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.1% | -3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.7% | 24.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.1% | 17.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 40 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.7% | 81.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.4" | 34.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.1 min | 34.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.23 | 12.84 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 20.4% | 11.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 21.2% | 22.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 98.8% | 78.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Worth
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Park Forest
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Worth
57
Your Score
53
Area Score
Park Forest
57
Your Score
53
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Worth, IL · Park Forest, IL · How this is calculated: methodology