The Town FilesFord Heights, Illinois
Village in Cook County · population 1,813 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $66,300
- Household income
- $36,053
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 28 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 45
- Median age
- 52.4
Ford Heights is a village of 1,813 people in Cook County, Illinois. The median home is worth $66,300, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of Illinois towns, better for young professionals than 96% of Illinois towns, better transit than 95% of Illinois towns.
How Ford Heights ranks
Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Ford Heights is worth $66,300, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 1.8 times the median household income of $36,053, which is more affordable than 74% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,056 a month. 51.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Ford Heights | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $66,300 | $156,600 |
| Median rent | $1,056 | $960 |
| Median household income | $36,053 | $72,500 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.8× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 51.2% | 76.6% |
| Median year built | 1965 | 1967 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Ford Heights
| People | Ford Heights | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.4 | 40.4 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.5% | 18.7% |
| Under 18 | 13.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.6% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 26.6% | 9.9% |
| Veterans | 5.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.1% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 8.9% |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 76.7% | 90.4% |
Weather in Ford Heights
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 15.2°F. About 42.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.2 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
45 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ford Heights since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on November 12, 1965 about 5.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 27, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 80 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 13, 2015.
Severe weather in Cook County since 1996
Cook County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 20, 2024 | Flood | DR-4819: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng |
| November 20, 2023 | Flood | DR-4749: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4728: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3435: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Cook County
Cook County had 2,565,567 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $86,931 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Ford Heights itself the ACS puts it at 13.9%.
Public schools in Ford Heights
2 public schools with 427 students, about 16.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medgar Evers Primary Acadmc Cntr | PK-4 | 288 | 20.6 |
| Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center | 5-8 | 139 | 11.6 |
Towns near Ford Heights
- Sauk Village, IL1.6 mi · 9,921 people · home $110,800
- Lynwood, IL1.8 mi · 9,116 people · home $218,000
- Glenwood, IL2.6 mi · 8,662 people · home $198,100
- Chicago Heights, IL2.7 mi · 27,480 people · home $161,000
- Steger, IL3.3 mi · 9,584 people · home $156,700
- South Chicago Heights, IL3.5 mi · 4,026 people · home $149,300
- Dyer, IN3.9 mi · 16,517 people · home $322,200
- Plum Valley, IL4.0 mi · 632 people · home $339,200
Ford Heights questions
Is Ford Heights, Illinois a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ford Heights scores better for retirees than 7% of Illinois towns and quieter than 26%. 24.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.4).
How much does a house cost in Ford Heights?
The median owner-occupied home in Ford Heights is valued at $66,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $36,053, so homes cost about 1.8 times income. Median rent is $1,056 a month.
What is the weather like in Ford Heights?
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 15.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.1 inches of precipitation a year and 28.2 inches of snow.
Does Ford Heights get tornadoes?
45 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ford Heights since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on November 12, 1965. The typical Illinois town has had 27.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)