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 and Willard Wood.

Geography
Crete is located at 41.45583°N, -87.61889°W (41.455910, -87.618798).

According to the 2010 census, Crete has a total area of 9.627 sqmi, of which 9.61 sqmi (or 99.82%) is land and 0.017 sqmi (or 0.18%) is water. Crete is located about 2 mi west of Illinois Route 394 and within 40 mi 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 2021 dollars, and 5.3% of people were below the poverty line. In 2020, the population density was of 899.7 per square mile.

The median value of owner-occupied housing units from 2017 to 2021 was of $172,700 2021 dollars, and the median gross rent was $1,111. 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.

There were 18.5% people under the age of 18, 3.3% under 5 years old, and 26.6% 65 years of age or older. 53.3% of people were female, and from 2017 to 2021 there were 486 veterans and 154 employer firms.

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)

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.)