Kenilworth, Illinois

Kenilworth, Illinois is located 17 miles north of downtown Chicago. It is located in Cook County and is one of the eight Chicago suburban communities along Lake Michigan, commonly referred to as “the North Shore.” Kenilworth was developed as a planned community. Its population in the 2010 census was 2,513.

Kenilworth has a reputation for being the wealthiest and most exclusive community in the Midwest. In January 2011, Forbes.com ranked Kenilworth as the second most affluent neighborhood in the United States, naming it "the most exclusive neighborhood in the Midwest, with estimated median household income of $247,000.” The average house in Kenilworth sells for about $1 million, according to Forbes.com.

The racial makeup of the village in 2010 was 97.4% white, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanics were 1.6% of the population.

During the period 2007-11, the estimated median annual income for a household in Kenilworth was $242,188, and the median income for a family was over $250,000. The per capita income for the village was $104,301. Only 1.2% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line.

Kenilworth has its own public school district, with its only school being Joseph Sears School, named after the founder of the village. The district is School District 38 in Cook County, and is the fifth most expensive K-8 district in the state of Illinois in per-student spending. The school, commonly known as Sears, runs from junior kindergarten through eighth grade, with about sixty students per grade.

Among residents 25 years and over in Kenilworth, 99.1% have a high school diploma or higher, 88.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher, 48.5% have a graduate or professional degree and 2.8% are unemployed. The mean travel time to work for Kenilworth residents is 32.9 minutes.

The first land in Kenilworth was purchased by Joseph Sears in 1889. The parcel was 223.6 acres and cost $150,300. Seven years later the population reached 300 residents, fulfilling the legal requirement for incorporation. Sears had the streets platted to maximize the availability of sunlight in each home. Utilities were placed underground, no alleys or fences were permitted, construction standards were high, and there were large lots and paved streets. Sears set aside land for a church and a school.

Many distinguished residents settled in early Kenilworth including architect and town planner George W. Maher, who was a contemporary and colleague of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Maher designed 37 homes in the village. He also designed most of the parks and civic sculpture – including the entry fountain, stone benches, planter urns, bridges and entry pylons.

Kenilworth expanded south and west through a series of annexations in the 1920s.The expansion included 40 acres in the southwest belonging to the North Shore Golf Club. This parcel was purchased and developed by a group of residents who formed the Kenilworth Realty Association. With the annexation of land in the 1920s, the village grew to its current size of 0.6 of a square mile.

Kreisman Law Offices handles Illinois lawsuits for the entire Chicago metropolitan area, including the Kenilworth. Chicago’s Kreisman Law Offices offers a wide range of legal services, including Illinois commercial litigation, estate and trust planning, personal injury law, Illinois medical negligence cases, Illinois nursing home abuse litigation, Illinois wrongful death law and Illinois business litigation. The Chicago attorneys at Kreisman Law Offices have over 40 years of legal experience. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online.

Our Chicago loop law office is in a convenient location for Kenilworth residents. Directions to Kreisman Law Offices from Kenilworth are as follows: by car take the Edens Expressway towards Chicago. The office is conveniently located at the southwest corner of Monroe and Dearborn Streets in Chicago’s Loop. The Metra and CTA also provide public transportation alternatives to the office. The office staff is bilingual in English and Spanish.