From a 12,000 population to 60,000 in the present, you would perhaps think that the character of the village has change so much over the last 30 years. But instead, young families move into Tinley Park, Illinois, a proud village 25 miles southwest of Chicago, for the reason Edward and Emily Zabrocki chose to raise their children in 1970.
According to Zabrocki, a retired high school guidance counselor for one of the schools in Tinley – the schools and community services are great; and houses were good for pocketbooks. Among of the notable reasons for their stay include the community’s top-rated schools, low crime, beautiful parks, and easy access to jobs. This made Tinley the hands down choice for the winner of BusinessWeek’s Best Places in America to Raise Kids.
Tinley has a long history. It was named after the village’s first railroad master in the 1800s, where they have two train stations that carry commuters to Chicago in 45 minutes. Single-family houses usually start at $160,000 for two bedrooms and two baths spread over 1,200 square feet. Affordable, isn’t it?
It is the perfect place to settle too as surveys says that students are closely tied to the community and often stay there after graduation. The three main high schools of the place are ranked in the top 100 in the state. For one, Andrew High School requires each of their students to do 24 hours of community service prior to graduation. Statistically, only 3% of the student moves away during high school graduation.
Overall, the quality of the place is what brings the place on top. In a research; test scores, air quality, affordability, job growth, diversity, parks, and theaters were all important factors for its consideration. It has a family-friendly atmosphere as they say where median home begins at $100,000 and is already very safe for two middle-aged women.
Consider the place when you plan of settling down soon…