Moving to
Grayslake.

All Grayslake data Compare Grayslake

20,929people live here $113,972median household income▲ 41% above US $1,485median rent per monthNear US average $309,500median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Grayslake

Grayslake is a small city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Grayslake deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Cold, harsh winters
Snowy winters — 43" per year
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Grayslake compares

Median household income

Grayslake$113,972

Illinois avg$83,390

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Grayslake$1,485

Illinois avg$1,274

US$1,413

Median home value

Grayslake$309,500

Illinois avg$263,300

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Grayslake

Based on Grayslake's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,970

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $59,400 a year
49% of Grayslake renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$61,900

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $30,950
Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,485/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,485 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $309,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $309,500 · 49% 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▼ 93% below US

24 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 444/100k · Grayslake Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

27 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 27.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

69%

Work from home

20%

Carpool

7.4%

Public transit

2.0%

Other

1.0%

Walk

0.9%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 16°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 63% above US

59% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

8 public schools inside the boundary

There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (50 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Grayslake's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,485/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

See all the data for Grayslake →·All Illinois cities →