The Town Files

Homewood, Illinois

Village in Cook County · population 19,463 (2020 Census)

Map: where Homewood is in IllinoisHomewood
Median home
$221,100
Household income
$100,139
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 84°
Snow a year
28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
44
Median age
40.2

Homewood is a village of 19,463 people in Cook County, Illinois. The median home is worth $221,100, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of Illinois towns, better for cycling than 93% of Illinois towns, better transit than 93% of Illinois towns.

How Homewood 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.

Homewood lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement14th pctFamilies29th pctQuiet11th pctWalkability92nd pctFirst-time buyers99th pctYoung professionals80th pctVibrancy85th pctHip & trendy92nd pctCollege town54th pctUpscale78th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling93rd pctTransit93rd pctDriving8th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Homewood is worth $221,100, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $100,139, which is more affordable than 50% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,333 a month. 81.7% of households own their home.

Homewood vs Cook County vs typical Illinois townHomewoodCook CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$221,100$324,500$156,600Household income$100,139$83,498$72,500Monthly rent$1,333$1,435$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingHomewoodTypical Illinois town
Median home value$221,100$156,600
Median rent$1,333$960
Median household income$100,139$72,500
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.2×
Homeownership81.7%76.6%
Median year built19611967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Homewood

PeopleHomewoodTypical Illinois town
Median age40.240.4
Age 65 and over18.6%18.7%
Under 1827.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher47.4%21.8%
Below the poverty line9.4%9.9%
Veterans6.0%—
Born outside the U.S.6.1%—
Work from home16.6%8.9%
Average commute33.1 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband95.0%90.4%

Weather in Homewood

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.

Homewood monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°15°Jan35°18°Feb46°28°Mar59°38°Apr71°49°May80°59°Jun84°64°Jul82°62°Aug76°55°Sep63°42°Oct48°31°Nov36°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.510.22.17.52.64.94.00.54.64.94.74.03.43.60.23.00.92.54.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Park Forest station (4.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

44 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Homewood since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 21, 1967 about 9.8 miles from the town center and killed 33. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 35 deaths and 627 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 27, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Homewood by decade21950s81960s31970s31980s01990s52000s42010s192020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 101 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 13, 2015.

Severe weather in Cook County since 1996

Storm events in Cook County since 1996 by typeHail577Flood220Tornado49High Wind46Lightning57Heavy Rain61Flash Flood207Winter Storm26
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cook County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 34 deaths recorded.

Cook County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 20, 2024FloodDR-4819: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng
November 20, 2023FloodDR-4749: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 15, 2023Severe StormDR-4728: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-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 Homewood itself the ACS puts it at 8.1%.

Largest industries in Cook CountyHealth care & social assistan…384,200 jobs · $64,525Professional & technical serv…239,300 jobs · $143,750Hotels & restaurants231,612 jobs · $36,807Retail214,653 jobs · $42,744Administrative & support181,641 jobs · $62,372Manufacturing176,781 jobs · $84,867
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cook County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Cook 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Homewood

3 public schools with 1,849 students, about 11.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
James Hart School6-870312.3
Willow SchoolPK-260011.8
Winston Churchill School3-554611.1

Towns near Homewood

Homewood questions

Is Homewood, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Homewood scores better for retirees than 14% of Illinois towns and quieter than 11%. 18.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.2).

How much does a house cost in Homewood?

The median owner-occupied home in Homewood is valued at $221,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $100,139, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,333 a month.

What is the weather like in Homewood?

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 Homewood get tornadoes?

44 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Homewood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 21, 1967. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Homewood's Census boundary (GEOID 1735879). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.