Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. Bordering Lake Michigan, it is located north of Chicago's downtown district ( from Chicago's northern border) and had a population at the 2010 census of 27,087. In 2020, Wilmette was ranked by Niche.com as the best place to raise a family in Cook County based on a variety of factors including public schools grade, percentage of residents with a bachelors degree or higher, crime & safety grade, family amenities, walkability grade, percentage of households with children, and access to parks and other recreational activities.