One Illinois City Lands On Best Places To Live For Families List

Before you get any farther into this piece, I just want to make it clear that the city we're about to tell you about is not, I repeat, not Galena.

Galena has had so much recognition over the years for being the most romantic, the most picturesque, the most Christmassy, the most...well, whatever. Look, we get it. Galena is pretty awesome, but Illinois has some other places that have a lot going for them, too.

One city/town in particular is getting some love from a major publication for being the best spot in Illinois (and the 20th best place in the entire country) to live if you have a family.

But it's not Galena.

Okay, If An Illinois City Is Ranked As The 20th Best Place To Live For Families, Which City Took The Top Spot In The Entire Country?

Well, according to Fortune.com, that title goes to a city that was ranked 3rd last year by Fortune: Silver Spring, Maryland.

Here are some of Silver Spring's numbers.

• Median sale price for single family residences: $652,090
• Median household income: $106,052
• High school district graduation rate: 88.68%
• Number of hospitals within 25 miles recommended by over 50% of patients: 22
• Number of above-average nursing homes within 50 miles, per 100,000 households: 17

Rounding out the top 5 best place to live for families are Upper Merion, Pennsylvania, Chantilly, Virginia, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Mason, Ohio.

Enough About The Other Places Outside Illinois, Let's Get To The Only Illinois City To Make The List Of The Best Places To Live For Families

That city or town, as determined by Fortune.com, is a place that takes one of its two names from a direction, with the other name being borrowed from a much bigger city.

West Chicago, Illinois is ranked 20th in the nation. Here are their numbers:

• Median sale price for single family residences: $347,457
• Median household income: $100,498
• High school district graduation rate: 95.33%
• Number of hospitals within 25 miles recommended by over 50% of patients: 25
• Number of above-average nursing homes within 50 miles, per 100,000 households: 30

In our neighboring states, Iowa City, Iowa was chosen as Iowa's best for families, coming in at number 24. Middleton, Wisconsin came in at number 18, and Westfield, Indiana came in at #19.