Naperville
RANK #742 / 1001 NAT · #25 / 28 IL · POP 930,024
1YR FORECAST: +2.3%
5YR OUTLOOK: +24%
DuPage County, Illinois, located just 20 miles west of Chicago, offers a blend of suburban living and natural beauty. The county is characterized by its extensive network of over 25,000 acres of forest preserves and more than 500 miles of trails, including the Illinois Prairie Path, which was the first successful "rail-to-trail" conversion in the United States. Commute options to Chicago are available via Metra commuter rail lines, with 29 stations across four lines within the county. Towns like Naperville and Glen Ellyn feature downtown areas with shops and restaurants.
DuPage County consistently ranks among the healthiest counties in Illinois. The area attracts families, partly due to its public school districts, which receive high ratings. The local economy is diverse, with major investments flowing into data centers, supported by factors like access to renewable energy, an extensive fiber network, and a skilled workforce. The county also benefits from its proximity to major transportation hubs, including O'Hare International Airport.
DuPage County is one of 110 U.S. counties in this market profile — weaker than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of +4.7% runs above the profile's typical +2.4%.
See all 110 Educated Suburban Growth counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below-average climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 7.1x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
CyrusOne Data Center Campus (Wood Dale)
CyrusOne
|
$1,000M | Under Construction |
|
CyrusOne Data Center (Aurora)
CyrusOne
|
$350M | Under Construction |
|
Edged Chicago Campus - Second Data Center (Aurora)
Edged US
|
$250M | Under Construction |
|
Karis Critical Data Center (Naperville)
Karis Critical Data Centers
|
$250M | Proposed |
|
Oppidan Data Center (Carol Stream)
Oppidan
|
$50M | Under Construction |
|
NTT DATA Cloud Storage Facility (Itasca)
NTT DATA
|
$50M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 25/100, DuPage County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $112,096 combined with job growth of +1.2% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
Housing in DuPage County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $391,400 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.29, with rents averaging $1,688/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Employers in DuPage County are hiring — job growth of +1.2% — but the population is close to flat (+0.3% YoY). Home values moved +4.7% over the past year. Labor demand is outpacing local population growth, which tends to tighten wages and housing.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 3.67% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests DuPage County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.