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Lake Forest, IL

City in Lake County, Illinois. ZIP codes: 60045.

Population

19,416

Land area

17.2sq mi

People per sq mi

1,129

ZIP codes

1

Lake Forest and its ZIP codes

Full map

Lake Forest at a glance

  • Lake Forest is about 4.9 times as dense as Illinois as a whole.
  • It is the 127th most populous of 1,445 cities and towns in Illinois.
  • Households here earn a median of $235,081 a year, about 2.8 times the Illinois figure of $83,390.
  • A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $938,300 (about 3.6 times the Illinois figure) and median rent is $1,815 a month.

Local data for Lake Forest, IL

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Lake Forest, IL, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$235,081

Poverty rate

3.5%

Median home value

$938,300

Median rent

$1,815/mo

Homeownership

88.8%

Bachelor's or higher

80.5%

Median age

46.1

Average commute

31.3 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: Irish Americans (3,458), German Americans (3,385), Italian Americans (1,658).

Home values and rentsIncome, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, pay, income and spending are for Lake County. PPP loans are for Lake Forest.

Details

Unemployment rate

3.8%

Aug 2026, -0.8 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$92,733

325,826 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$103,546

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$5B

FY 2026, $7,004 per person

PPP loans

$109M

1,042 loans, 10,225 jobs reported

Lake County economyFederal spendingPPP loans

How people get to work

Lake Forest, IL, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

  • Drove alone46.1%
  • Carpooled1.8%
  • Public transit12.3%
  • Walked5.5%
  • Bicycle0.8%
  • Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other3.3%
  • Worked from home30.3%

Average one-way commute: 31.3 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Lake Forest, IL, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively High

Top: cold wave

Storm events since 1996

815

Countywide, mostly thunderstorm wind

Flood insurance policies

1,857

0.8% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

82° / 16°F

Hazards, floods and storm historyCheck a flood zone12 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Lake Forest, IL, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

27.8%

U.S. 33.3% -5.5 pts

Diabetes

9.4%

U.S. 12.1% -2.7 pts

Smoking

6.4%

U.S. 12.8% -6.4 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

3.8%

U.S. 11.1% -7.3 pts

ZIP codes in Lake Forest

1 in or overlapping Lake Forest. Population shown

·

Cities near Lake Forest

NameDistanceLand area (sq mi)
Lake BluffVillage3.1 mi4.1
KnollwoodCensus-designated place3.2 mi0.6
HighwoodCity3.3 mi0.7
BannockburnVillage3.3 mi2
MettawaVillage3.6 mi5.5
LincolnshireVillage4.1 mi4.6
Highland ParkCity4.3 mi12.2
Green OaksVillage4.8 mi4
Vernon HillsVillage5 mi7.7
North ChicagoCity5.1 mi8
DeerfieldVillage5.1 mi5.5
RiverwoodsVillage5.2 mi4
LibertyvilleVillage5.6 mi8.8
Indian CreekVillage6.4 mi0.3
Buffalo GroveVillage7.4 mi9.6
MundeleinVillage7.9 mi10.9

Frequently asked questions

What county is Lake Forest, IL in?
Lake Forest is in Lake County, Illinois.
What ZIP codes are in Lake Forest, IL?
ZIP codes in or overlapping Lake Forest include 60045.
What is the population of Lake Forest, IL?
About 19,416 people live in Lake Forest, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What cities are near Lake Forest?
Nearby places include Lake Bluff (3.1 mi), Knollwood (3.2 mi), Highwood (3.3 mi), Bannockburn (3.3 mi), Mettawa (3.6 mi).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line boundaries, American Community Survey) · Data as of 12/31/2023