Top 10 Best Jobs in America's Richest Cities: Kenilworth, Illinois

Kenilworth is a famous name in and around Chicago and its various suburbs. Incredibly, the Village of Kenilworth to the north has access to 109,200+ jobs in February 2011. Part of this is explained by the fact that this upscale community is only about 16 miles north of Downtown Chicago.

A total of eight communities have emerged on Lake Michigan near Chicago, on what is locally called the North Shore. Kenilworth is one of the newest of the eight or nine (depending on media sources), but is the 2nd richest place in America, right after Westlake, Texas. It is likely so successful because it is officially a planned community. Many of these communities are wealthy, because they are backed by talented developers in partnership with government and local business enterprises. This planned community is different in that it was originated back in 1889 with Joseph Sears, and incorporated about 1896. A colleague of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed many homes in the village and other installations emerged (see photo below). Planning and implementation of improvements have continued across the centuries.

Redevelopment

The Village is home to limited commercial businesses, single-family dwellings, and rental properties. Affordable housing is part of the mix as well. Local leaders promised in 2003 to raise the proportion of affordable housing units from 0.40% of total dwellings in 2003 to a full 10.0% of dwellings. Since the land area covered by the Village is just over 1/2 square mile, redevelopment of properties is seen as the way to produce additional affordable housing as well as some new businesses and recreational areas. Thus, redevelopment can be beneficial in upscale communities, just as it is in closer to national-average income producing cities and towns.

Another part of redevelopment is the emergence of a district within the Village where homes and other buildings are in process of registration for the National Record of Historic Places.

A new resource for finding and reviewing community information is Zillow.com, which offers public records information about property lots, homes and their owners, and mortgages around the country. Their page is at Zillow-Kenilworth, although the information differs somewhat form the Village website and local news media records. It is interesting that Zillow reports that only 10% of the adults ages 18+ of the Village have not attended college and 50% have graduate degrees. This leads to the higher-than-national-average incomes.

The park system in Kenilworth is upscale and well maintained with a number of parks and a youth sports program. Scouting is a huge activity in Kenilworth as well.

A summer camp is offered for 6 weeks each year between June and July and leadership training is offered youth ages 13 through 15 as Counselors-In-Training. Youth sports include basketball and T-ball, while other sports are offered to individuals and families in a sailing club, football, soccer, and baseball.

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Few job openings emerge within the Village of Kenilworth itself, but many openings are listed in nearby Chicago, Schaumburg. Deerfield, Oak Brook, and Northboork, as well as in other nearby suburbs of Chicago and the range of communties along the North Shore. Job vacancies within the VIllage are those in healthcare, cable TV installation, dog-walkers, babysitters, a few clerical, and some sales rep positions. Not much retail is available within the VIllage, but healthcare is visible.

1. Occupational Therapists
2. Physical Therapists
3. Project Managers
4. Sales Representatives
5. Business Analysts
6. Registered Nurses (RNs)
7. Dental Assistants
8. Administrative Assistants
9. Customer Service Representatives (CSRs)
10. Account Managers
    

Additional High Demand Jobs

1. Financial Analysts
2. Account Executives
3. Java Developers
4. Event Specialists
5. Salespeople
6. Senior Accountants
7. General Dentists
8. Barista Jobs - Full-time and part-time jobs
   

Reference: Data provided by the US Census Bureau, based on median household incomes found in surveys administered from 2005 - 2009. All of these median incomes are higher than competiting publications' findings from other sources in January 2011.

1. 1. Westlake TX
2. 2. Kenilworth III
3. 3. Mission Hills KS
4. 4. Popponesset Island MA (ties with Mission Hills)
5. 5. Plandome NY
6. 6. Hewlett Neck NY
7. 7. Munsey Park NY
8. 8. Plandome Manor NY
9. 9. North Beach FL
10. Village of Chevy Chase Section Five, MD (ties with North Beach)