Pros and Cons of Living in Highland Park
Highland Park's core trade-off pairs a genuinely affluent North Shore lakefront identity, strong schools, and a statistically strong safety record against genuinely high housing and property tax costs -- and a real, honestly disclosed 2022 tragedy this record states directly.
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Learn morePro: a nationally significant cultural anchor and strong schools
Ravinia Festival draws roughly 400,000 guests a year, and Highland Park's public schools carry a Niche A+ overall grade, ranking #20 in Illinois.
Pro: a statistically strong safety record
86% of residents report Highland Park as very safe, with crime rates running below both Illinois and national averages on the measures reviewed this pass.
Con: genuinely high housing and property tax costs
Highland Park's average home value ($809,080, June 2026) and median effective property tax rate (2.53%) both run substantially above Illinois's own already-high statewide averages.
Con: a real, honestly disclosed tragedy
On July 4, 2022, a mass shooting during Highland Park's Independence Day parade killed 7 people and wounded 48 -- a real, current part of Highland Park's recent history this record does not soften, alongside the real, documented community recovery since.
Key takeaways
- Pro: Ravinia Festival's roughly 400,000 annual guests and a real, strong Niche A+ school grade.
- Pro: a statistically strong safety record (86% of residents report feeling very safe).
- Con: genuinely high housing costs ($809,080 average value) and property taxes (2.53% effective rate, $14,191 median bill).
- Con: the real, honestly disclosed July 4, 2022 parade shooting, alongside the real community recovery since.
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