What it's like to live in Lake Forest
Lake Forest 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. Lake Forest deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
How Lake Forest compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lake Forest
Based on Lake Forest's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,630
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $72,600 a year
- 32% of Lake Forest renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$187,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $93,830
- Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 28% above US
$1,815/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,815 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $938,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $938,300 · 32% 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▼ 94% below US
20 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 502/100k · Lake Forest Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.3 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. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% take public transit; 30% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 124% above US
81% 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
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, 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 (40 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lake Forest's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,815/mo) equals 9% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (30% of workers here already work from home), and people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Lake Forest
All Illinois guides →Moving to Highland Park →
5 mi away · pop. 30,398
Rent $1,925/mo · Income $168,094
Compare with Lake Forest →Moving to Deerfield →
5 mi away · pop. 19,518
Rent $2,482/mo · Income $181,660
Compare with Lake Forest →Moving to Vernon Hills →
5 mi away · pop. 26,876
Rent $1,903/mo · Income $121,943
Compare with Lake Forest →Moving to North Chicago →
5 mi away · pop. 30,643
Rent $1,426/mo · Income $60,172
Compare with Lake Forest →Not sure Lake Forest is the one?
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