Kane County vs Lake County
Kane County, Illinois versus Lake County, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Kane County and Lake County score about the same overall (45 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kane County | Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $96k | $105k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $62k |
| Home Value | $290k | $314k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.47% | 2.74% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.35% | 16.16% |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.7 in | 37.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 35.6 in | 39.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 240 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 95 days | 93 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 94.6 | 96.0 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 73.7 | 99.1 |
| Violent Crime | 528/100k | 400/100k |
| Property Crime | 404/100k | 597/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 517,254 | 713,159 |
| Median Age | 38.3 | 38.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.53 | 0.52 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.01 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | D+15 | D+25 |
| White (%) | 55.5% | 58.9% |
| Black (%) | 5.0% | 6.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 32.6% | 22.8% |
| Asian (%) | 3.8% | 8.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 10.1/20 | 10.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 27 mi | 25 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.4% | 92.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 1.82 | 4.26 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kane County or Lake County more affordable?
- Kane County has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Kane County's $61k and Lake County's $62k. Median rent is $1k in Kane County versus $1k in Lake County.
- Is Kane County or Lake County safer?
- Lake County has the lower violent crime rate. Kane County reports 528/100k and Lake County reports 400/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kane County or Lake County?
- The median home value is $290k in Kane County and $314k in Lake County, so homes are more affordable in Kane County.