Marion, IN vs Oak Forest, IL

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Marion

85.1

#2 nationally

Oak Forest

77.2

#270 nationally

Oak Forest leads in median household income ($89,758 vs $42,366). Marion leads in average commute (17.1 min vs 32.3 min). Marion leads in cost of living index (82 vs 104).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Marion, IN	Oak Forest, IL
WhereAtHome Score	85.1 (#2)	77.2 (#270)
Population	28,105	26,199
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$140,425	$303,574
Median Household Income	$42,366	$89,758
Average Commute	17.1 min	32.3 min
Walk Score	40	36
Crime Level	2.9	2.4
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	82	104
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+41.8	D+42.0