Crete, Illinois

Crete is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. It is a far south suburb of Chicago, 30 miles from the Loop and only 6 miles from the Indiana border. The population was 8,465 at the 2020 census. Originally named Wood's Corner, it was founded in 1836 by Vermonters Dyantha Wood, Willard Wood & Gary Neal. Geography According to the 2010 census, Crete has a total area of 9.627 square miles (24.93 km2), of which 9.61 square miles (24.89 km2) (or 99.82%) is land and 0.017 square miles (0.04 km2) (or 0.18%) is water. Crete is located about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Illinois Route 394 and within 40 miles (64 km) of downtown Chicago. Willow Brook Estates, an unincorporated area between Crete and the Indiana border, uses the Crete postal code and is considered an eastern extension of the village. Demographics As of the July 2021 U.S. census, there were 8,407 people, 3,300 households, and 2.52 people per household. The median household income was $80,718 in 2021 dollars, and 5.3% of people were below the poverty line. The median value of owner-occupied housing units from 2017 to 2021 was $172,700 in 2021 dollars, and the median gross rent was $1,111. In 2021, 94.6% of households had a computer. In 2021, the racial makeup of the village was 57.8% White Alone, 31.8% African American, 0.3% Native American and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, and 0.3% Multiracial. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.7% of the population. 3.6% of people living in Crete were born outside of the U.S. In 2021, 18.5% of people were under the age of 18, 3.3% were under 5 years old, and 26.6% were 65 years of age or older. In total, 53.3% of residents were female, and from 2017 to 2021 there were 486 veterans and 154 employer firms. Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Crete had a population of 8,465. The median age was 45.7 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.6 males age 18 and over. At that time, the population density was 899.7 inhabitants per square mile. As of the 2020 census, 19.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.7% were 65 years of age or older. In total, 99.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.7% lived in rural areas. As of the 2020 census, there were 3,263 households in Crete, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.9% were married-couple households, 17.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. As of the 2020 census, there were 3,384 housing units, of which 3.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%. Education All public schools in Crete are managed by Crete Monee Community Unit School District 201U, which is a unit school district which combines elementary, middle, and high schools. Serving the village of Crete are: Crete Elementary School (pre-kindergarten through 5th grade) Balmoral Elementary School (pre-kindergarten through 5th grade) Crete Monee Middle School (6th through 8th grade) Crete-Monee High School (9th through 12th grades) Gary Neal High School (9th through 12th grade) Illinois Lutheran is a Pre-K to 12th grade school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Crete. Governors State University is in University Park, which borders Crete. Local attractions Crete is home to Balmoral Park Racetrack. The forest preserve along with Plum Creek (Goodenow Grove), a park with ice skating and sledding in the winter, and hiking in the summer. (Goodenow Grove does, however, have a Beecher, Illinois address.) References External links Official village website