Deerfield, IL: what area around DC would you compare it to?

[Anonymous]

I’m curious about Deerfield, IL. How are most people there? (Friendly? Well-educated? Mostly families with kids? SAHM/WOHM?)
Would you say the population is similar to any of the DC area suburbs?
How would you compare Deerfield to the DMV in other ways? Any info about the area is welcome!

[Anonymous]

I can’t compare to DC but I live in Chicago and have a friend who moved there specifically for the large number of other Jewish families in Deerfield. So if that’s important to you, it’s definitely worth a further look. Schools rank well.

[Anonymous]

+1 on large Jewish population.

Deerfield has it's own high school, which is a plus for many. It's not a feeder to Stevenson or Highland Park (larger schools in the area).

It's pretty far out from the city compared to the North Shore suburbs like Evanston, Wilmette, etc. But pretty sure the train is pretty easy to navigate to the city.

Newer builds... definitely feels suburban.

[Anonymous]

Think Reston/the area just east of Dulles but colder. Large lots when you have single family homes, but my understanding is that dense townhouses are becoming more prevalent. The Bulls used to practice there. Can't speak to religion, but they have good schools.

[Anonymous]

Excellent schools, good Metra access downtown, good highway access. Neighborhoods are generally more established than nearby suburbs like Buffalo Grove and Vernon Hills. You get more home for your money than in the North Shore communities. It's even cheaper than Glenview and Northbrook, from what I can tell. But Deerfield is in Lake County, which has the highest property taxes in the state. There is a sizable Jewish community, but I don't think it's dominant. There's isn't much diversity, like many of the northern suburbs.

I'm considering it.

[Anonymous]

I don't really think you can really compare Deerfield/Chicago suburbs to a DMV suburb. Deerfield is very nice, but isn't on the Lake. It's not Highland Park/Lake Forest/Wilmette.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't really think you can really compare Deerfield/Chicago suburbs to a DMV suburb. Deerfield is very nice, but isn't on the Lake. It's not Highland Park/Lake Forest/Wilmette.

I am a graduate of Deerfield High School. Raised in Deerfield. Multiple state champion in my sport. The town was very supportive of this kind of thing.i was the rare poor person and lived in one of the handful of non single family homes. I cannot imagine a suburb more different from Deerfield than Reston. Reston is diverse, Deerfield is not. Except for a magnet like TJ, there are no public schools in the DMV the academic quality.of DHS.. But again, Deerfield is not diverse. At all. Taxes are high but it is in Illinois, one of the worst run and corrupt states in the country. Lake County services are much better than Cook County. But for the fact that Illinois has a bleak future, it is a nice low crime high education place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't really think you can really compare Deerfield/Chicago suburbs to a DMV suburb. Deerfield is very nice, but isn't on the Lake. It's not Highland Park/Lake Forest/Wilmette.

I am a graduate of Deerfield High School. Raised in Deerfield. Multiple state champion in my sport. The town was very supportive of this kind of thing.i was the rare poor person and lived in one of the handful of non single family homes. I cannot imagine a suburb more different from Deerfield than Reston. Reston is diverse, Deerfield is not. Except for a magnet like TJ, there are no public schools in the DMV the academic quality.of DHS.. But again, Deerfield is not diverse. At all. Taxes are high but it is in Illinois, one of the worst run and corrupt states in the country. Lake County services are much better than Cook County. But for the fact that Illinois has a bleak future, it is a nice low crime high education place.

I lived in Riverwoods and went 2 years to DHS. Lived in DC since 1988.
What does Deerfield compare to in this area? I agree with this post. I can't think of anything to compare Deerfield to in the DMV.
Deerfield is an old community that had rail going through it. It's 30-40 minute drive (without traffic) to Chicago.
I would say the area of Bethesda where Old Georgetown Road and Democracy where Balducci's is located might be the closest to what Deerfield is like. And Montgomery Mall is like Northbrook Court.

[Anonymous]

Deerfield is really, really nice. There are some great homes, and they should seem very reasonable coming from the DMV. The schools are widely considered to be great.

It's not on the lake, but it's not a terribly far away either. And while there are closer-in suburbs, it's not a horrible commute downtown on the Metra.

If cost wasn't a concern, it wouldn't be my first choice (I'd probably go with Wilmette, near the lake). But if you have $800k-$1.5m, Deerfield is a strong option - bigger lots, bigger homes.

Note that the restaurant scene in the suburbs is generally pretty weak compared to living in Chicago.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Lincolnshire, which is slightly further to the west of Deerfield. I have lived in DC 30+ years. But I have siblings in Deerfield and Evanston. I have fond memories of my childhood. My Dad commuted to Chicago by train from the Deerfield station. It is a long commute but, honestly, it takes an hour+ to commute 10 miles in the DMV!! If I moved to Chicago now, I’d stay in Lake County and focus on Highland Park or Lake Forest.