The Town FilesCrete, Illinois
Village in Will County · population 8,465 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $228,500
- Household income
- $97,147
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 28 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 47
- Median age
- 48.9
Crete is a village of 8,465 people in Will County, Illinois. The median home is worth $228,500, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 98% of Illinois towns.
How Crete ranks
Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Crete is worth $228,500, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $97,147, which is more affordable than 42% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,309 a month. 90.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Crete | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $228,500 | $156,600 |
| Median rent | $1,309 | $960 |
| Median household income | $97,147 | $72,500 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 90.0% | 76.6% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1967 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Crete
| People | Crete | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.9 | 40.4 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.6% | 18.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.3% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 9.9% |
| Veterans | 6.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.0% | — |
| Work from home | 10.7% | 8.9% |
| Average commute | 38.2 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.7% | 90.4% |
Weather in Crete
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 15.2°F. About 42.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.2 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
47 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Crete since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 23, 1961 about 9.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 27, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 60 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on June 28, 2012.
Severe weather in Will County since 1996
Will County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 20, 2024 | Flood | DR-4819: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3435: Covid-19 |
| November 26, 2013 | Tornado | DR-4157: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| May 10, 2013 | Flood | DR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Will County
Will County had 263,673 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,570 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Crete itself the ACS puts it at 6%.
Public schools in Crete
4 public schools with 2,567 students, about 15.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crete-Monee High School | 9-12 | 1,503 | 16.2 |
| Balmoral Elem Sch | K-5 | 462 | 14.0 |
| Crete Elementary School | K-5 | 389 | 13.4 |
| Crete-Monee Early Childhood Cntr | PK-PK | 213 | 14.2 |
Towns near Crete
- Steger, IL2.2 mi · 9,584 people · home $156,700
- South Chicago Heights, IL3.0 mi · 4,026 people · home $149,300
- Park Forest, IL4.3 mi · 21,687 people · home $115,300
- Sauk Village, IL4.4 mi · 9,921 people · home $110,800
- University Park, IL4.6 mi · 7,145 people · home $153,200
- Chicago Heights, IL4.9 mi · 27,480 people · home $161,000
- Beecher, IL6.3 mi · 4,713 people · home $269,500
- Olympia Fields, IL6.6 mi · 4,718 people · home $329,000
Crete questions
Is Crete, Illinois a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Crete scores better for retirees than 30% of Illinois towns and quieter than 52%. 24.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.9).
How much does a house cost in Crete?
The median owner-occupied home in Crete is valued at $228,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $97,147, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,309 a month.
What is the weather like in Crete?
July highs average 83.9°F and January lows 15.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.1 inches of precipitation a year and 28.2 inches of snow.
Does Crete get tornadoes?
47 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Crete since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 23, 1961. The typical Illinois town has had 27.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)