A city that can trace its history back to the 17th century when French explorer Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette camped on a spot just off the Des Plaines River, Joliet is a city steeped in history and lore.
These days, however, it’s a city redefining itself in the modern world.
Located in Will County, 35 miles southwest of the Loop, the city originally called Juliet, has emerged as Illinois’ fourth largest city with a population over 145,000, adding approximately 37,000 new residents since the turn of the century. But the city’s recent resurgence neither happened by accident nor arrived without first encountering its troubles.
In the late 1970s, Joliet faced massive industrial closings which threatened its long-time middle-class stability. By the early 1980s, over one-quarter of Joliet’s residents were unemployed. From that low point, however, Joliet has only surged ahead.
In the late 1980s, city leaders developed a downtown revitalization strategy to capitalize on the riverfront location as well as the city’s evolving character.
In the years since, the Joliet City Center has added the Harrah’s Casino Pavilion and Hotel, Silver Cross Field (home of minor league baseball’s Joliet Jackhammers), riverwalk promenades, and the Freedom Court Building to the resurrected downtown shopping, dining, and residential spots.
Some have even dubbed Joliet “The Renaissance City,” an ode to the city’s transformation from a former industrial hub into a town with a diversified housing stock, citizenry, and economy.
In the early years of the 21st century Joliet was adding upwards of 1400 new housing units per year, a figure helping to elevate its status as one of Illinois’ fastest growing cities.
Sitting at a transportation crossroads—the intersection of Interstate 55 and Interstate 80 sitting nearby as well as the Rock Island Railroad’s movement through the city’s downtown business district—prospective homebuyers found Joliet to be a fitting blend of affordable housing and diverse urban life.
Today’s homebuyers encounter housing as colorful as the city’s history. Though Joliet does claim its share of classical Victorians and luxury homes on acreage lots, the majority of the town’s homes are in the $125,000-250,000 window.
Three bedroom, 1.5-bathroom ranch homes can be had for under $150,000 while 3- to 4-bedroom, two-bath homes in the older Cathedral area of town run in the $250,000 range. Newer subdivisions, meanwhile, line the town’s edges and touch on neighboring communities such as Shorewood, Channahon, New Lenox, and Plainfield.
“There’s building going on all around us and we have century-old Victorians right downtown, so you bet there’s diverse housing here in town,” said Nancy Freeman, Broker and Owner of Re/Max Realty of Joliet. “People come here because they know they can get a good buy on a home and know they can commute easily, so there’s a lot of desirability to be in Joliet.”
On the educational front, Joliet hosts the nation’s oldest community college, Joliet Junior College, as well as the University of St. Francis, a 4,500-student Catholic university. Younger students attend one of the city’s 36 elementary schools, both public and private, as well as four junior highs.
At the high school level, both Joliet Township High School campuses, Central and West, possess a wide range of opportunities from award-winning music programs to state-recognized math and science teams.
As for recreation and culture, Joliet claims two libraries, one museum, 74 parks, access to over 1,800 acres of forest preserve land, three indoor movie theaters, three golf courses, a water park, ice arena, and softball complex.
City of Joliet
150 W. Jefferson St.
E-mail: info@cityofjoliet.info
Natural gas: NICOR, 888-642-6748
Electricity: ComEd, 800-334-7661
Phone: AT&T, 888-824-8314
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce
815-727-5371
Population: 106,221
Median household income: $47,761
- Hispanic origin (any race): 18%
- 71%
- 19%
- 1%
- 9%
- White
- Black
- Asian
- Other
- 21%
- 45%
- 28%
- 6%
- No diploma
- High school
- Bachelor's
- Master's & above
- 2%
- 10%
- 16%
- 14%
- 10%
- 5%
- 10%
- 3%
- 4%
- 11%
- 8%
- 4%
- 2%
- <5
- 5-9
- 10-14
- 15-19
- 20-24
- 25-29
- 30-34
- 35-39
- 40-44
- 45-59
- 60-89
- 90+
- Work@home
