Real Estate Investing in Lake County, Illinois

Everything the listing leaves out — vacancy, rent trend, cap rate, landlord climate. All free.

26 ZIP codes • Population: 722,926

Should you buy in Lake County, IL? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
GOOD FIT
Grade B (76/100)

Solid choice β€” values are growing steadily and the market is stable enough to buy with confidence.

πŸ“ˆ For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (53/100)

A middle-of-the-road market. Workable, but the best opportunities may be nearby ZIPs rather than this one.

⚠️ Risks to Know
CLEAN

No major risk flags on the data we track.

What’s happening in Lake County, IL?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

County-wide average

4.0/ 5

Appreciation

7.4% 5yr CAGR

5.0/ 5

Landlord Climate

Regulatory friendliness

Avg Investability β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
Avg Home Value $476,885
Avg Monthly Rent $2,335
ZIP Codes 26

Investing in Lake County Real Estate

Lake County (IL) covers 26 ZIPs and 24 municipalities. firmly the fundamentals here skew distressed, and both rent and price trends have been muted across most of the geography.

Investors considering Lake, Illinois should understand what the β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† rating represents β€” a region with material challenges, not a temporary rough patch.

Demographics in Lake show real pressure β€” $N/AK median income is sluggish relative to rents, and the 0% renter share includes significant cost-burdened households.

A great house in the wrong ZIP is still a bad deal — screen every market by cash flow & cap rate.
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Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in Lake County, IL. Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Avg Home Value
$476,885
Avg Monthly Rent
$2,335
1% Rule
βœ— Below
Landlord Friendly (IL)
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

πŸŽ“ Colleges & Universities in Lake County

9 Colleges 17,777 Students 1,032 Off-Campus Renters
C+
Lake Forest College
4-Year Private Β· 1,818 students
C+
College of Lake County
2-Year Public Β· 12,290 students
πŸ“ ~1,032 students rent off-campus
C
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
4-Year Private Β· 1,949 students
C
University of Saint Mary of the Lake
4-Year Private Β· 203 students
C
State Career College
Vocational For-Profit Β· 140 students
C
Empire Beauty School-Vernon Hills
Vocational For-Profit Β· 57 students
D
Trinity International University-Illinois
4-Year Private Β· 852 students
D
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Libertyville
Vocational For-Profit Β· 193 students
D
Lake Forest Graduate School of Management
4-Year Private Β· 275 students

Investor Insight: With 1,032 students living off-campus, Lake County has substantial rental demand from the college population β€” typically stable, lease-renewing tenants.

Cities in Lake County

ZIP Codes in Lake County, IL

60085 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Waukegan
Population 72,763
Avg Home $241,625
Avg Rent $1,759/mo
60073 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Round Lake
Population 62,000
Avg Home $283,425
Avg Rent $2,367/mo
60010 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Barrington
Population 45,970
Avg Home $732,992
Avg Rent $2,669/mo
60047 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Forest Lake
Population 44,100
Avg Home $669,001
Avg Rent $3,283/mo
60089 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Buffalo Grove
Population 42,781
Avg Home $452,446
Avg Rent $2,428/mo
60031 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Gurnee
Population 37,208
Avg Home $381,489
Avg Rent $1,939/mo
60060 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Mundelein
Population 37,146
Avg Home $397,204
Avg Rent $2,372/mo
60030 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Grayslake
Population 35,579
Avg Home $360,598
Avg Rent $2,417/mo
60046 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Lindenhurst
Population 34,708
Avg Home $364,283
Avg Rent $2,388/mo
60099 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Zion
Population 30,485
Avg Home $272,779
Avg Rent $1,532/mo
60035 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Highland Park
Population 30,236
Avg Home $802,743
Avg Rent $3,034/mo
60048 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Libertyville
Population 28,945
Avg Home $635,887
Avg Rent $2,609/mo
60061 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Vernon Hills
Population 27,883
Avg Home $461,634
Avg Rent $2,420/mo
60015 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Deerfield
Population 27,720
Avg Home $735,773
Avg Rent $2,557/mo
60087 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Waukegan
Population 27,428
Avg Home $271,327
Avg Rent $1,475/mo
60002 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Antioch
Population 24,396
Avg Home $361,891
Avg Rent $2,166/mo
60045 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Lake Forest
Population 20,957
Avg Home $1,215,058
Avg Rent $5,171/mo
60084 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Wauconda
Population 17,267
Avg Home $368,395
Avg Rent $2,375/mo
60064 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
North Chicago
Population 15,047
Avg Home $225,987
Avg Rent $1,581/mo
60020 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Fox Lake
Population 10,846
Avg Home $268,170
Avg Rent $1,698/mo
60044 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Lake Bluff
Population 10,289
Avg Home $671,015
Avg Rent $2,133/mo
60083 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Wadsworth
Population 9,655
Avg Home $394,670
Avg Rent $2,025/mo
60041 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Fox Lake
Population 8,920
Avg Home $311,699
Avg Rent $1,188/mo
60069 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Lincolnshire
Population 8,728
Avg Home $706,312
Avg Rent $3,419/mo
60096 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Winthrop Harbor
Population 6,626
Avg Home $314,364
Avg Rent $1,359/mo
60040 β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜… β˜…
Highwood
Population 5,243
Avg Home $498,238
Avg Rent $2,333/mo

Screen every market in Lake County

Filter this county’s ZIPs by cap rate, vacancy, appreciation and 30+ more criteria, and export your shortlist to CSV — with the Investor plan ($19/mo). Add weekly alerts when these markets move with Investor Pro+.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Lake County

What strategy should investors use in, IL?

, IL investors pursuing careful cash-flow rentals with hands-on management. The underlying economics ($477K prices, $2,335/mo rents) make it a reasonable choice.

Is, IL a good place for real estate investing?

, IL scores 3.0/5 for investability. Home values sit at $477K and rents near $2,335/mo, which keeps the rent-to-price ratio in reasonable territory for buy-and-hold investors.

How expensive is real estate in, IL?

Expect median prices around $477K in, IL. The market has run at a 0.0% 5-year CAGR, so entry costs have been measured.

Is rental property easy to operate in, IL?

For rental operators, IL rates as tenant-protective. The regulatory environment standard buy-and-hold operations.

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