Community Corner

Block-by-Block Oak Park, River Forest: Where Are Increased Homes Values, High Rents, Government Workers?

Check out these interactive maps to see what your neighborhood looks like.

Map: What Section of Oak Park Has the Most Government Workers?
The map shows a snapshot across town of the percentage of people working for the government. Government workers' sense of job satisfaction is at its lowest point since 2010, according to a recently released survey. According to the survey, which was taken before the government shutdown this fall, federal workers faced with pay freezes and furloughs were tired of "current policies and practices affecting agency operations and resources."

Map: What Part of Oak Park Is Paying 'Too Much' for Rent?
The map shows a snapshot of the percentage of people across town who spent 35 percent or more of their income on rent. A popular rule of thumb is to devote around 25 or 30 percent of pre-tax income for rent. (Individual circumstances are inevitably more complex than rules of thumb, of course.) But as rents continue to rise, more and more people may find it difficult to devote less than a third of their annual income.

Map: What Part of Oak Park Has the Most Homes with Mortgages?
The map shows a snapshot of the percentage of homes with mortgages across town. As interest rates continue to rise, fewer and fewer people are applying for mortgages. In fact, the average number of mortgage applications fell 7 percent according to last week's report.

Map: Where Have the Most Homes Increased in Value?
The map shows a snapshot of the percentage of homes across town whose values increased in the past year. The data are from September. Several years since the housing bubble burst, home values have returned to October 2004 levels overall. One of the reasons for the rise is that young adults, having stayed home because of the uncertain economic environment, have started to leave their parents’ places. They are creating households at the fastest rate since 2007.

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