Lake Forest, Illinois
Among the top 19% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 6% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade B+, better than 75% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B+, better than 81% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 67% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 72% of US places
- top 7% for school quality
- top 10% for airport distance
- bottom 6% for monthly owner costs
Lake Forest is a town in Illinois with about 19,000 residents. It grades B+ for safety & wellbeing and F for affordability. Standout strengths include school quality, airport distance, and broadband access. It rates lower on monthly rent and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Lake Forest is $894k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Lake Forest is $202k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Lake Forest is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Lake Forest has a violent crime rate of 141/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Lake Forest is 35 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Snowy
freez.
v.cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
72%46%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.0 in2.1 in
humid 97%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$202k99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$62kbetter than 10% of US places
Home Value$894k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 7% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$6kbetter than 6% of US places
Property Tax Rate1.12%better than 43% of US places
Income Tax5.00%better than 47% of US places
Sales Tax8.86%better than 14% of US places
Estimated total tax burden12.87%better than 25% of US places
Unemployment3.1%better than 58% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)25°F21st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F37th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation39.3 in42nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall33.6 inbetter than 29% of US places
Sunny Days245 daysbetter than 64% of US places
Summer Humidity63°Fbetter than 57% of US places
Comfortable Days93 daysbetter than 76% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk57.2better than 62% of US places
Air Quality51 AQIbetter than 20% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime141/100kbetter than 83% of US places
Property Crime672/100kbetter than 63% of US places
Community
Population19,43693rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age44.965th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.2759th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9338th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+2512th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)82.8%46th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.9%57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)4.8%56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)6.4%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.0%71st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time35 minbetter than 9% of US places
Walkability8.2/20better than 76% of US places
Airport Distance19 mibetter than 90% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.9%better than 86% of US places
Amenities Nearby123.48better than 59% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 41% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lake Forest an affordable place to live?
- Lake Forest is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $62k, better than 10% of comparable areas. Median rent is $2k.
- Is Lake Forest safe?
- Lake Forest is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 141/100k (better than 83%). Property crime is 672/100k.
- What is the weather like in Lake Forest?
- Lake Forest averages 74°F in July and 25°F in January, with 39.3 in of annual precipitation and about 245 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Lake Forest?
- Public-school quality in Lake Forest is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Lake Forest?
- The average one-way commute in Lake Forest is 35 min.