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46. Buffalo Grove, IL
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Buffalo Grove, IL
46
Top 50 rank: 46
Population: 41,761

This bedroom community about 35 miles northwest of Chicago doesn't have a traditional downtown. But what it offers instead is ample green space, with 800 acres of forest and parkland, 50 miles of trails, and two municipal golf courses.

The village enjoys economic stability and a wide range of employment options nearby -- Siemens Industry's U.S. headquarters are in Buffalo Grove, while major employers such as Kraft Foods and CVS corporate are a short drive away via I-94. --H.L.

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Buffalo Grove, IL
Town stats
Median family income (per year)
$105,230
Job growth % (2010-2012)
3.74%
Median home price (2012)
$199,000
Reading test scores (% above/below average)
18.6%
Math test scores (% above/below average)
14.6%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)
0
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)
10
Financials
Town stats
Median family income (per year)
$105,230
Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted)
$96,453
Sales tax
9.00%
State income tax rate (highest bracket)
5.00%
State income tax rate (lowest bracket)
5.00%
Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state)
$1,471
Job growth % (2010-2012)
3.74%
Housing
Median home price (2012)
$199,000
Average property taxes
(2011)
$5,236
Education
Reading test scores (% above/below state average)
18.6%
Test scores math (% above/below average)
14.6%
% students attending public/private schools (located within town limits)
92.0/8.0
Quality of life
Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good)
86.7%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)
0
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)
10
Median commute time (in minutes)
26.0
% population with commute 45 mins. or longer
19.4%
% population walk or bike to work
1.8%
Leisure and culture
Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts)
0.7
Weather
Annual rainfall (inches)
36.27
% clear days in the area
52%
High temp in July ° F
83.2°
Low temp in Jan ° F
13.7°
Meet the neighbors
Median age
42.2
Completed at least some college (% of residents)
76.7%
Married %
63.1%
Divorced %
6.1%
Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)
75.8
View moreless See Buffalo Grove homes for sale
From the September 2013 issue

Source: Onboard Informatics. Details

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More Best Places
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  • Buffalo Grove real estate
Real estate and homes for sale on Trulia
Fan Favorite Towns

Money picked the top 100. Now it's your turn: Which town will be our fan favorite? 'Like' your town and it might just make it to No. 1.

Town # of Likes
1. Sharon, MA 11,968
2. Apex, NC 10,738
3. Westford, MA 6,023
4. Peachtree City, GA 5,632
5. Hillsborough, NJ 5,329
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How we pick the Best Places
Using statistics from data services company Onboard Informatics and other sources, we crunched the numbers in order to zero in on America's best small towns for families. (Last year, we looked at small cities, with populations between 50,000 and 300,000.) More

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