Each Wednesday, I will post a profile for another city in DuPage County. This week’s pick is Naperville.
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Naperville was settled in 1831 by Joseph Naper and his brother John. The city was incorporated in 1890. Until the early 1970’s, Naperville was considered to be a far-off, rural Chicago suburb consisting mainly of farms and clusters of neighborhood developments. By the early 1980’s, Naperville began it’s rapid population growth and transformation phase. Today, Naperville is a thriving, populous city. It is now one of the largest cities in Illinois. Most of Naperville is within DuPage County, although the southern regions of the city extend into Will County.
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The downtown Naperville area has undergone a major transformation in the past five years. Much of the northern portion of the downtown area has been redeveloped and now includes many new shops, restaurants, and ample parking. The area is neat and tidy and has a very active nightlife. It’s a great place to enjoy a pleasent summer evening dining, enjoying drinks, or strolling along the Riverwalk.
- The Naperville Public Library was ranked as the best public library in the United States for eight years in a row, from 1999 to 2006.
- Money Magazine has ranked Naperville in the top 5 best places to live in the United States for 3 out of the last 6 years.
- There are 60+ churches in Naperville.
Major Events Include:
- Ribfest
- Last Fling (Labor Day weekend)
Naperville Attractions Include:
- Naper Settlement
- Summerplace Theatre
- Centennial Beach
- Naperville Riverwalk
- DuPage Symphony Orchestra
- Millennium Carillon – Memorial Tower
- DuPage Children’s Museum
- Downtown Shopping and Nightlife
Naperville Demographics:
- Estimated 2008 Naperville Population is 144,560
- White – 80.7% (national average is 74.1%)
- Asian – 12.3% (national average is 4.3%)
- Hispanic or Latino – 5.4% (national average is 14.7%)
- Black – 3.8% (national average is 12.4%)
- Median Age is 35
- Median Family Income is $117,277 (in 2007 inflation-adjusted dollars)
- Median Household Income is $97,090 (in 2007 inflation-adjusted dollars)
- Median Owner-Occupied Housing Value: $416,400 (2006)
- Median Housing Value: $404,400 (2007)
- Average Contract Rent: $942 (2000)
- Total Housing Units: 51,497 (May 2009 estimate)
- Apartments: 414 Buildings (7,420 units)
- Condominium: 285 Buildings (3,676 units)
- Single Family: 32,812 Buildings
- Townhouse: 1,167 Buildings (6,007 units)
- Two Family: 791 Buildings (1,582 units)
- Size in Square Miles: 39 (March 2008)
- Naperville is approximately 30 miles from Chicago
Bordering Cities and Towns Include:
- Bolingbrook
- Downers Grove
- Lemont
- Lisle
- Warrenville
- Woodridge
Naperville Hospitals
- Edward Hospital
Naperville High Schools
- Naperville North High School, 3,018 students, Student/teacher ratio: 17.4
- Naperville Central High School, 3,005 students, Student/teacher ratio: 17.8
- Neuqua Valley High School, 3,510 students, Student/teacher ratio: 16.2
Naperville Colleges
- DeVry University
- Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University
- North Central College
- Northwestern College
- Northern Illinois University (NIU satelite campus)
- Robert Morris College (satelite campus)
- DePaul University (satelite campus)
