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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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COUNTYThriving

Lake County, IL

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score69out of 100
Compare
65
58
62
78
94

Population

714,223

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+3.7% YoY

65

$82.9B

Output changed +3.7% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth4.3%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

58

4.2%

Unemployment is 4.2% for May 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.1%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+2.1% 5-year

62

714,223

Population moved +2.1% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population12,694,798
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

78

16.1%

Median rent consumes 16.1% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.3K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.4K per resident

94

$5.3B

$5.3B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$134.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$5.3B

$7.4K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$3.2B
2. Department of Defense$807.4M
3. Department of Veterans Affairs$499.0M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. CARDINAL HEALTH 200, LLC$472.6M
2. W.W. GRAINGER, INC.$357.3M
3. GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN, INC.$134.7M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

16.1%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,211
2BR estimate$1,595
Median income$110,416
Median home value$345,700

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

714,223

Median age

39.1

Bachelor's degree+

47.7%

Poverty rate

8.3%

Labor force participation

68.2%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.1%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

May 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-16

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.4%

GDP CAGR

+5.0%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
2020699,682
2021714,484
2022713,159
2023711,885
2024714,223
GDP (5 years)
2020$65.0B
2021$71.5B
2022$76.1B
2023$79.9B
2024$82.9B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024714,223
2025718,632 *
2026721,280 *

R² = 45.1% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$82.9B
2025$88.3B *
2026$92.7B *

R² = 97.8% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$110,416/yr
Median rent$1,477/mo
Rent share of income16.1%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$20,977/yr
Mortgage share of income19.0%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate4.2%
State avg5.1%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation68.2%
Poverty rate8.3%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. May 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$345,700
Median monthly rent$1,477
Price-to-rent ratio19.5x

Moderate price-to-rent ratio — buying and renting are roughly balanced in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score64/100
Economic growth65/100
Labor market58/100
Population momentum62/100
Overall stability69/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Lake County, Illinois

County

Part of

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Nearby locations

Highland Park, ILHighwood, ILDeerfield, ILBannockburn, ILNorthbrook, IL