The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in River Forest, IL
River Forest is a village of 12,000 in Cook County, about 10 miles west of downtown Chicago · Updated November 2026
Is River Forest, IL safe?
Yes, crime in River Forest is low, with an overall CrimeGrade™ of A-. Because most US neighborhoods are safe as well, River Forest sits near the middle: safer than the neighborhoods where 52% of Americans live. Violent crime grades better than property crime here, A+ against B. Its neighborhoods are much alike, from A to B+; see the map below.
A-
Overall CrimeGrade™
Safety score 845 of 1,000About as safe as the typical US neighborhoodi What this means
52% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than River Forest as a whole, and 48% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. River Forest scores 845.
Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.
How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in River Forest, IL at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in River Forest, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.
Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports
What stands out in River Forest
Burglary stands out among A-graded cities. For the typical resident of an A-graded US city, the figure is 1.2 burglaries a year per 1,000 residents; River Forest has 5.5.
The safest and least safe parts of River Forest
Every part of River Forest where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across River Forest run from A to B+; 61% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.
100%
A or B 100%
Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.
Within River Forest, the northwest side has the least crime and the southwest side the most.
Is crime going up in River Forest?
Reported property crime in River Forest has held about steady since 2019, within 7%. Too few violent crimes are reported here each year for a reliable violent crime trend. Burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts went from about 21 to 23 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 18). In 2024 alone, property crime rose 60%.
Property crime, change since 2019
River ForestUnited States
Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police department that serves River Forest. The charts follow crimes per resident.
Data table
Year
Property, River Forest
Property, US
2016
+23%
+15%
2017
+20%
+12%
2018
-0%
+4%
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
-32%
-8%
2021
-40%
-10%
2022
-25%
-6%
2023
-33%
-7%
2024
+7%
-15%
Crime rates and types in River Forest
CrimeGrade™ estimates River Forest has about 32 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 13% less than the US as a whole and 23% less than Illinois.
Overall crime
Violent crime
Property crime
Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.
Theft is the most common crime in River Forest, about 51% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.
Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.
Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.
Where and when crime happens in River Forest
River Forest has its own police department, and these figures come from its reports, 2022 to 2024.
In River Forest, 38% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Thefts from cars happen most often on streets and sidewalks: 49% of them, against 18% nationally.
Crime
Most often at
Busiest time
Burglary
Homes (38%)
Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Theft from cars
Streets and sidewalks (49%)
Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Vandalism
Parking lots and garages (32%)
Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.
How River Forest compares with nearby cities
River Forest has less crime than 8 of its 9 nearest cities; only River Grove has less.
Night lighting, shops and walkability in River Forest
Two things set River Forest apart: it has 5.1 stores and restaurants for every 1,000 residents, against 10.5 nationally, and a Walk Grade of C (38 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places with few stores and restaurants tend to report less theft, yet theft runs higher here than that would suggest.
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.100% where people liveUS: 78%Higher than for 92% of US city residents
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.5.1 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 91% of US city residents
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft and assault.C (38 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 87% of US city residents
Show all 6
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for River Forest: C (34 of 100).11 trips an hourUS: noneHigher than for 86% of US city residents
Parking lotsBig lots at stores, offices and apartment complexes. Places with more lot space tend to report more theft.0.7 spaces per residentUS: 2.0Lower than for 86% of US city residents
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery and car theft.28% of residentsUS: 24%Higher than for 66% of US city residents
These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.
What crime costs River Forest
Crime costs River Forest about $715 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 41% less than the US figure of $1,205.
Cost of crime per resident, per year
Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $4.6 million a year, or $387 per resident.
How the cost breaks down
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Murder
$100,000
$9
Rape
$71,000
$6
Robbery
$120,000
$10
Assault
$570,000
$47
Burglary
$590,000
$49
Theft
$1.0 million
$84
Vehicle theft
$87,000
$7
Arson
$7,600
$1
Vandalism
$360,000
$30
Total
$2.9 million
$243
How CrimeGrade™ works
A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in River Forest means the same as a B anywhere else.
CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.
The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.
Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.
Where the numbers come from
Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
Published research on what crime costs victims and communities
These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.
Schools in River Forest, IL average a SchoolGrade of A-: 57% of students test proficient, against 38% projected for schools like them. Overall, they greatly exceed expectations. See schools in River Forest on SchoolGrade
