What it's like to live in Fox Lake
Fox Lake is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fox Lake deals with commute times longer than most cities, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 43" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Fox Lake compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fox Lake
Based on Fox Lake's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,094
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,880 a year
- 64% of Fox Lake renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,620
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,810
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 26% below US
$1,047/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,047 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $228,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $228,100 · 64% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lake County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lake County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 19% below US
266 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 852/100k · Fox Lake Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 30% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.8 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 29% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (58 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fox Lake's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,047/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes, anyone who doesn't drive, and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Fox Lake
All Illinois guides →Moving to Round Lake Beach →
6 mi away · pop. 27,079
Rent $1,543/mo · Income $86,059
Compare with Fox Lake →Moving to Round Lake →
7 mi away · pop. 18,628
Rent $1,710/mo · Income $111,977
Compare with Fox Lake →Not sure Fox Lake is the one?
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