The market for fringe-area homes is being driven by the fact that rural towns are becoming satellite communities for Chicago's growing suburbs. People who work in suburbs such as Naperville , for example, are buying houses in little towns such as Sugar Grove . They say they can get more house for the money and still manage the commute, which is often far shorter and less taxing than the trip to downtown Chicago faced by many workers each day. But growth on the fringes raises questions and problems for residents, developers and local governments alike. Old-time residents don't always like the influx of newcomers.
New subdivisions can stretch municipal budgets and strain services.
Meanwhile, developers, pushed by the demand for affordable housing, say it's getting harder to find inexpensive land in towns that welcome growth. Between 1970 and 1990 the population of Chicago's suburbs increased 24 percent, or almost 1 million people, according to the Chicago-based Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission . During this same period, overall employment in the Chicago area grew 21 percent. Most of that increase took place in the newer suburban employment centers, such as Schaumburg and Aurora . By 2020, the population in northeastern Illinois is expected to increase to slightly more than 9 million people, according to the Planning Commission.