City Snapshot

Naperville, Ill., founded in 1831 by Capt. Joseph Naper, is an upper-middle-class suburb on Chicago's western flank. Originally a farming community, it now epitomizes the kind of expanding exurbia that defines turn-of-the-century American growth. It is a town of high-tech firms and strip malls. It retains some of its small-town tableau, though, notably in its 113 parks and 134-year-old municipal band.

Population

125,803

Racial composition

White 88.5 %

Asian 5.8

Black 2.2

Hispanic 2.2

Native American/Other 1.3

Average value of a single-family home

$200,716

Playgrounds

51

Tennis courts

37

Ice rinks

5

Police officers

168

Top area employers

Lucent Technologies 8,600

Naperville School District 203 2,050

Indian Prairie School District 204 2,026

Edward Hospital 1,500

Nalco Chemical Research 1,200

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society