Each spring, the same scene is repeated in Homewood—the local Dairy Queen opens after its winter hibernation and offers free ice cream to kids, an invitation that brings hundreds of children and their parents to the store’s two windows. Such tradition and togetherness are part of the character of this century-old community 22 miles southwest of the Loop.

Homewood’s residents enjoy a community anchored in stability and civic spirit. While neighboring communities have sprouted with residential subdivisions set apart from the town’s core, Homewood has remained a community consistent in its size (hovering around 20,000 residents for the last two decades) and middle-class character (a median household income just over $69,000).

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Homewood

“There’s a Mayberry-like feel that dominates this entire community. It’s the kind of community people don’t leave easily because everybody’s connected here,” said Ron Wexler, a resident of Homewood since 1971 who now directs the town’s Keller Williams Preferred Realty office.

Starter homes in Homewood, typically two-bedroom brick homes on a concrete slab, run approximately $120,000-$130,000 while two-story, three-bedroom, two-bathroom Victorians built in the 1930s are likely to sell in the $350,000-$400,000 range.

“It’s too inexpensive to live here,” said Wexler of Homewood’s status as a hidden Chicagoland gem.

Residents find a shared rallying point in Homewood-Flossmoor High School, a Blue Ribbon-winning school and one of only two schools in the nation with an ice arena on campus. The school also hosts one of the nation’s most powerful student radio stations in WHFH 88.5 FM. Students claim an average ACT score of 21.5, a full point above the state average while maintaining a graduation rate near 97 percent.

A nationally-recognized park district, meanwhile, contributes to Homewood’s overall appeal. The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District includes the Coyote Run Golf Course, the Iron Oaks Environmental Learning Center, H-F Ice Arena, and H-F Tennis Club, a sign of the community’s diverse offerings.