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Living in
Gages Lake.
Gages Lake is an unincorporated community in Lake County, IL. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
About
Life in Gages Lake
Gages Lake is a community of 10,706 people in Illinois. The median household income is $103,318, median rent runs about $1,693 per month, and median home values are around $310,500. The unemployment rate is 4.7%.
Gages Lake at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
39.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
7.0%
Foreign-Born
10.4%
Broadband Internet
95.4%
of households
Population Growth
+5.4%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics10.4% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Gages Lake: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Gages Lake, the largest foreign-born group is from India (20.0%), and 10.6% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
22.1%
of residents
65 and Older
14.6%
of residents
Households with Kids
29.9%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
21.4%
of households
Married Couples
56.1%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.64
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 33% above IL average
Rent, home values, and income in Gages Lake
In Gages Lake, rent runs 33% above the IL average, and home values are 18% above the IL average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
47.2%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
28.3%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
103.6
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$7,233
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
83.0%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1984
median year built
Vacant Homes
2.5%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $337,832 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for IL
Unemployment in Gages Lake and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Lake County, which includes Gages Lake, is close to the IL average.
Unemployment rate
Gages Lake: Lake County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Lake County (county-wide) · Annual averages
Gages Lake is about 2% of Lake County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
What Gages Lake Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI metro area
Commute26.1 min avg
How Gages Lake residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Gages Lake, most residents drive alone to work (66%), and 64% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 26 mi
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Major hub40.7M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 78% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in the area policed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, which covers Gages Lake, runs 78% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
72.6
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
382.7
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Policed by Lake County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate)
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 17 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
96.0 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Lake County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Lake County, which includes Gages Lake, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 17 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2024 | 27 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2023 | 16 | Hail | None reported |
| 2022 | 30 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2021 | 24 | Drought | None reported |
| 2020 | 15 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 26 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2018 | 19 | Flood | $70,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Lake County, county-wide
Gages Lake is about 2% of Lake County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality39 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Lake County, which includes Gages Lake, is typically good.
Median AQI
39
Lake County, county-wide
Gages Lake is about 2% of Lake County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate80°F summers, 18°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Gages Lake has warm summers (avg high 80°F) and very cold winters (avg low 18°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
57°/37°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
80°/61°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
60°/43°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
33°/18°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
36.4"
Annual Snowfall
43.4"
Hot Days/Year
11
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
133
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
113
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 15°F | 2.07" |
| Feb | 34°F | 18°F | 1.89" |
| Mar | 45°F | 27°F | 2.64" |
| Apr | 57°F | 37°F | 4.12" |
| May | 69°F | 48°F | 4.44" |
| Jun | 78°F | 58°F | 4.20" |
| Jul | 82°F | 63°F | 3.92" |
| Aug | 81°F | 62°F | 3.27" |
| Sep | 73°F | 54°F | 3.36" |
| Oct | 60°F | 43°F | 3.04" |
| Nov | 47°F | 31°F | 2.54" |
| Dec | 35°F | 21°F | 2.28" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Gages Lake
Uninsured
5.0%
of residents
No hospitals inside Gages Lake's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Advocate Condell Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.6 mi away · Libertyville
Lake Behavioral Hospital
Psychiatric · 5.9 mi away · Waukegan
North Chicago VA Medical Center
Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER available · 6.8 mi away · North Chicago
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education14.7:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Gages Lake
Gages Lake's student/teacher ratio is 14.7:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 42.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
10
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
42.5%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.7:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Gages Lake (within 15 miles)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,813 students · in-state tuition $58,902 · 76% graduate · median earnings $70,470 (10 yrs after entry)
Worsham College of Mortuary Science
14.4 mi awayPrivate for-profit · 2-year · 183 students · in-state tuition $20,500 · 88% graduate · median earnings $61,393 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Pullman National Historical Park, 49 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Gages Lake
Gages Lake has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Pullman National Historical Park (49 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Pullman National Historical Park
National Historical Park
49 mi awayIndiana Dunes National Park
National Park
67 mi awayCities Near Gages Lake
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Gages Lake?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Gages Lake FAQ
Is Gages Lake, Illinois affordable?⌄
Gages Lake's median rent is $1,693/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $103,318/year. Median home value is $310,500.
Is Gages Lake, Illinois safe?⌄
Gages Lake is policed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 73 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 383 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Gages Lake, Illinois?⌄
Lake County, which includes Gages Lake, has an unemployment rate of 4.7%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Gages Lake, Illinois?⌄
The cost of living in Gages Lake is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,693/month and median household income is $103,318/year. The median home value is $310,500. About 47% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Gages Lake, Illinois?⌄
The average commute in Gages Lake is 26 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from