Are the South-West Chicago Suburbs a nicer area than Kankakee? (Naperville: crime, house prices)

[GetMeOutOfKankakee]

I am trying to get out of Kankakee for good but everyone I know and my family live here so I was wondering about the south-west suburbs like Naperville, New Lenox, Joliet, Lockport, Etc. They are not too far away but far enough from the Kankakee Area. I was wondering if anyone knows if they are nice towns to live in? Are the people nicer and less crazier than in Kankakee? I would appreciate any input you may have!
Thanks!

[Steve-o]

Joliet has areas that are just as bad as Kankakee IMO. I dont know much about New Lenox or Lockport, but Naperville is yuppy and very expensive, and a darn safe town for its size.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by GetMeOutOfKankakee

I am trying to get out of Kankakee for good but everyone I know and my family live here so I was wondering about the south-west suburbs like Naperville, New Lenox, Joliet, Lockport, Etc. They are not too far away but far enough from the Kankakee Area. I was wondering if anyone knows if they are nice towns to live in? Are the people nicer and less crazier than in Kankakee? I would appreciate any input you may have!
Thanks!

Yes, all of those towns are much nicer than Kankakee (even taking into account Steve-O's correct observation that there are some bad parts of Joliet).

[DianaC]

I live in Joliet and like it here. I grew up in the Lockport area and that was nice, too. Lockport and New Lenox have really grown. There's a lot of new houses and new businesses. I don't know what your price range is but that may determine where you want to go, too. I don't know what you mean by crazy people in Kankakee...what kind of people are you trying to get away from??

[Jons99]

Joliet also has places that are worse than anything Kankakee has as well, its probably because Joliet is 6 times as large..Kankakee still has its problems, but Kankakee County is MUCH better now than it was 10 years ago..

The main attraction of Kankakee County is its affordable housing, its all give and take..

[GetMeOutOfKankakee]

Thanks for the opinions. I guess for lack of better terms I used the word "crazy" people, but I do not live in a very nice area and have to deal with drug deals and fights in front of my home. Sorry if I offended anyone. The nicer areas in Kankakee County (i.e. parts of Bourbonnais and Manteno) are more expesive to live than the Bradley and Kankakee city areas. I was just wondering if those areas north-west of Kankakee might be reasonably priced, but I am finding out otherwise.
Thanks guys!

[hgclyde]

These area much nicer, better quality schools + housing= more expensive.(Especially New Lennox, Naperville) So do your homework. Retail, Corporate offices and industrial coming along Plus 355 is nearly compete.

[dino17]

I was looking at commercial properties and the prices. All i can say is it will not happen any time soon. If I'm going to pay that type of price even for
a rental, I will look elsewhere.

[studedude]

To find lower prices you need to go further west than Naperville. Oswego, Yorkville, Plano, Sandwich get progressively less expensive.

[IlWesleyanGuy]

I'm from Joliet and have family that live in Kankakee. I know exactly what you mean by crazy people and yes you will find these kind of people in Joliet. Though, as mentioned in a previous post Joliet is a very large city compared to Kankakee. And so there are plenty of decent areas where crime is low or nonexistent and the housing is cheap. Most people will mention far West Joliet or the area near the mall but there are plenty of other decent areas. For instance, the far East Side has new affordable housing. You should keep in mind that the median house price in Kankakee is very low. City-Data shows it as around $87,000. Joliet's is around $170,000. This is a huge difference. The other suburbs have higher median house prices than Joliet. Naperville may just be the most attractive but cost of living expenses would be atronomical compared to the Kankakee area. Also, technically Naperville is a west suburb, so it is a little farther away from Kankakee than Lockport, New Lenox and Joliet. It is always best to check out the towns for yourself.