Lake County vs Will County
Lake County, Illinois versus Will County, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Lake County edges out Will County on overall objective livability (46 vs 40 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lake County | Will County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $105k | $104k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $61k |
| Home Value | $314k | $284k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.74% | 2.41% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.16% | 14.51% |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.7 in | 41.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 39.8 in | 27.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 240 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 93 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 96.0 | 97.3 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 99.1 | 71.0 |
| Violent Crime | 400/100k | 989/100k |
| Property Crime | 597/100k | 809/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 713,159 | 696,774 |
| Median Age | 38.7 | 38.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.52 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | Even |
| White (%) | 58.9% | 60.9% |
| Black (%) | 6.5% | 11.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 22.8% | 18.6% |
| Asian (%) | 8.4% | 5.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 3.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 10.0/20 | 8.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 25 mi | 23 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.8% | 92.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 4.26 | 1.29 |
| 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 Lake County or Will County more affordable?
- Will County has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Lake County's $62k and Will County's $61k. Median rent is $1k in Lake County versus $1k in Will County.
- Is Lake County or Will County safer?
- Lake County has the lower violent crime rate. Lake County reports 400/100k and Will County reports 989/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lake County or Will County?
- The median home value is $314k in Lake County and $284k in Will County, so homes are more affordable in Will County.