What it's like to live in Lake in the Hills
Lake in the Hills is a small city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, 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 in the Hills deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 35" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Lake in the Hills compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lake in the Hills
Based on Lake in the Hills's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,378
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,560 a year
- 48% of Lake in the Hills renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$64,380
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,190
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 20% above US
$1,689/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,689 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $321,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $321,900 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 77% below US
77 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 272/100k · Lake in the Hills Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 23% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32 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; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 (51 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lake in the Hills'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 commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,689/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
See all the data for Lake in the Hills →·All Illinois cities →
Other places near Lake in the Hills
All Illinois guides →Moving to Algonquin →
3 mi away · pop. 30,067
Rent $1,723/mo · Income $134,525
Compare with Lake in the Hills →Moving to Crystal Lake →
3 mi away · pop. 40,579
Rent $1,468/mo · Income $108,418
Compare with Lake in the Hills →Moving to Huntley →
5 mi away · pop. 28,005
Rent $1,622/mo · Income $88,536
Compare with Lake in the Hills →Moving to Cary →
5 mi away · pop. 17,923
Rent $1,428/mo · Income $113,026
Compare with Lake in the Hills →Not sure Lake in the Hills is the one?
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