Kenilworth Among Richest Towns In America; Winnetka Among Smartest
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Growing up on the fringes of the North Shore, we always felt like we were the kids with our nose pressed against the window of a candy store filled with money and privilege instead of chocolate.
The homestead in Deerfield was a proper and modest three-bedroom space, and there were dozens of them in our neighborhood, which rose up in the late 1950s has Chicagoland began to spread far and wide.
Lake Cook Road in 1968 was two lanes and there was a barn at the end of the street. To be clear, life was good. Dads, mostly, made a good living and the schools were excellent.
However, we lived in the shadow of places like Kenilworth and Winnetka.
People there were richer and smarter.
Some things never change. According to Business Insider, the North Shore hamlet is the most affluent town in Illinois, and one of the most well-heeled in the country.
The average household income there is $229,797, good for a No. 7 ranking in the United States--and just a few thousand dollars away from a No. 3 ranking.
Kenilworth's next door neighbor, Winnetka, is the most educated town in Illinois and ranks No. 3 in the United States.
A total of 88.4 percent of adults in Winnetka have at least a bachelor's degree.
Nationally, Chevy Chase, Md., is both the richest (average income above $250,000) and most-educated (nearly 93 percent with at least a bachelor's).
Kenilworth was incorporated in 1896 with a population of 300. Today, its population stands at 2,500. On average, the approximately 800 homes there are worth in excess of $1 million.