Livability Score

67
/100
i The AreaVibes Livability Score evaluates 9 different categories and creates an overall score out of 100. The higher the score, the better the area.

amenities F

There are not many amenities close to this location.
Coffee (3) F
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Cyber Cafe
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Bluffington's
Coffee Shop
Bluffington's Cafe
Coffee Shop
Hansa
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Entertainment (7) F
Unknown Name
Stadium
History Center Of Lake Forest- Lake Bluff
Museum
Allan Carr Theater
Theatre Arts
Allan Carr Theater
Theatre Arts
Unknown Name
Zoo
The Cressey Center for the Arts
Theatre Arts
McCormick Auditorium
Theatre Arts
Unknown Name
Art Gallery
Unknown Name
Theatre Arts
Lake Bluff History Museum
Museum
Food and Drink (10) F
Chocolates by Bernard
Sweets
Jimmy John's
Fast Food
Chiefs Bar and Grill
Bar
Sweet's
Sweets
Lake Forest Food & Wine
Fast Food
LF Juice
Fast Food
Dunkin'
Fast Food
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Fast Food
Unknown Name
Deli
Boomers
Bar
McDonald's
Fast Food
Panera Bread
Fast Food
McDonald's
Fast Food
Lake Bluff Brewing Company
Bar
Taco Bell
Fast Food
Wendy's
Fast Food
Unknown Name
Alcohol
Unknown Name
Bar
Unknown Name
Bar
Humble Pub
Bar
Unknown Name
Bar
Santi's
Bar
Unknown Name
Bar
Dunkin'
Fast Food
Fitness (5) F
Lake Forest Recreation Center
Gym
Gorton Community Center
Community Centre
Forever Om Yoga
Gym
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center
Gym
Crown Fitness & Wellness Center
Gym
Core Pilates
Gym
Aldeen Building
Gym
Performance Factory Training
Gym
Higland Park Recreation Center
Community Centre
Groceries (5) F
Sunset Foods
Grocery Store
The Daily Grind
Butcher
Gerhard's Elegant Eurpoean Desserts
Bakery
The Fresh Market
Grocery Store
Jewel-Osco
Grocery Store
Mariano's
Grocery Store
Heinen's Fine Foods
Grocery Store
Heinen's Fine Foods
Grocery Store
Unknown Name
Bakery
Unknown Name
Bakery
Unknown Name
Grocery Store
Parks (26) F
Deerpath Community Park
Park
Lake Forest Recreation Center
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Mellody Farm Nature Preserve
Park
Waveland Park
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Veterans Park
Park
Townline Community Park
Park
South Park
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
West Park
Park
Meadowood Park
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Triangle Park
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Unknown Name
Playground
Northcroft Park
Park
Wesylik Field
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Unknown Name
Playground
Everett Park
Park
Shooting Star Savanna
Park
Elawa Park
Playground
Elawa Park
Playground
Unknown Name
Park
Shops (18) F
Lake Forest True Value Hardware
Home Improvement
BP Shop
Convenience Store
Lake Forest Flowers
Florist
PetPeople
Pets
Unicorn Designs
Clothing
bluemercury
Beauty
Talbots
Clothing
Fred's Barber Shoppe
Hairdresser
M on the Square
Interior Decoration
J. McLaughlin
Clothing
The Lake Forest Shop
Interior Decoration
Williams-Sonoma
Houseware
Evereve
Clothing
TSE Cahmere
Clothing
Lululemon
Clothing
Forest Bootery
Shoes
Konradt's Florist
Florist
Tiara Salon & Spa
Hairdresser
7-Eleven
Convenience Store
Mobil Mart
Convenience Store
7-Eleven
Convenience Store
Unknown Name
Convenience Store
AK Nail Studio
Beauty
Mutaul Ace Hardware
Home Improvement
Target
Department Store
See more Lake Forest amenity data

commute F

Of all people who commute, 14.8% take public transportation in Lake Forest.
Public Transit Stops (2)
Stops & Stations F
Lake Forest
Transit Station
Lake Forest
Transit Station
Fort Sheridan Metra Station
Bus Stop
Fort Sheridan
Transit Station
Lake Bluff
Transit Station
Highwood Metra Station
Bus Stop
Highwood Metra Station
Bus Stop
Highwood
Transit Station
Park Ave West & Brook Estates
Bus Stop
Workers Taking Public Transit
14.8% A-
See more Lake Forest commute data

cost of living F

The cost of living in Lake Forest is 181/100 - which is 88% higher than Illinois.
Cost of Living
Goods & Services, Housing, etc. F
Tax Rates
Income & Sales Tax D+
See more Lake Forest cost of living data

crime A+

Lake Forest crime rates are 687 per 100k, which is 65% lower than Illinois
Property Crime
672 crimes per 100k A+
Violent Crime
16 crimes per 100k A+
See more Lake Forest crime data

employment A+

The median income in Lake Forest is $189,118 - which is 219% higher than Illinois.
Med. Household Income
$189,118 A+
Unemployment Rate
1.8% A+
See more Lake Forest employment data

health F

There are not many hospitals, police and fire stations,
Health & Safety (10)
Dentist, Doctor, Hospital, etc. D-
Lake Forest Police Department
Police
North Suburban Center for Oral & Facial Surgery
Doctor
Lake Forest Dental Arts
Dentist
CVS Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital
Hospital
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Lake Forest Fire Station #2
Fire Station
Health Center
Doctor
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center
Clinic
Goshgarian Orthodontics
Dentist
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Deerfield Bannockburn Fire Protection District Station 19
Fire Station
Lake Bluff Fire Department
Fire Station
Lake Bluff Police Department
Police
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Highland Park Fire Department Station #34
Fire Station
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Highwood Police Department
Police
Unknown Name
Dentist
Unknown Name
Clinic
CVS Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Air Quality
Median Air Quality F
See more Lake Forest health & safety data

housing A-

Lake Forest home prices are $818,000 - which is 368% higher than Illinois
Home Price
$818,000 A+
Home Appreciation Rate
-2% C-
Home Affordability
4.3x (home price to income ratio) D-
See more Lake Forest housing data

schools A

The Lake Forest graduation rate is 98% - which is 16% higher than Illinois
School Test Scores
66% C+
High School Grad. Rates
98% A+
Elementary Schools (10) F
Deer Path Middle Sch East
School Of St Mary
School Of St Mary Primary Center
Cherokee Elem School
Dearhaven Childcare & Learning Center
Everett Elem School
Sheridan Elem School
Lake Bluff Middle School
Wayne Thomas Elem School
Northwood Jr High School
Montessori School Of Lake Forest
Daniel Wright Jr High School
East Lake Academy
Lake Bluff Elem Sch
Bannockburn School
Oak Terrace Elem School
Rondout Elem School
Laura B Sprague School
High Schools (5) F
Fusion Academy Lf: Chicago- Lake Forest
Fusion Academy Lake Forest
Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest High School
Montessori School Of Lake Forest
Deerfield High School
Safe Haven School
See more Lake Forest education data

ratings A+

Lake Forest has an overall rating of 85% from 7 reviews.
User Reviews (2)
From AreaVibes A
User Surveys (5)
From AreaVibes A+
See more Lake Forest user rating data
Amenities Commute Cost of Living Crime Employment Health & Safety Housing Schools User Ratings

Lake Forest, IL Area Guide

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Photo of Lake Forest, IL
( 7 Ratings )

Living in Lake Forest, IL

Ranks better than 67% of areas Follow

Lake Forest Area Facts

  • Lake Forest has a Livability Score of 67/100, which is considered good
  • Lake Forest crime rates are 65% lower than the Illinois average
  • Cost of living in Lake Forest is 88% higher than the Illinois average

What do the locals think about Lake Forest?

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Lake Forest Reviews

Write a review about Lake Forest Tell people what you like or don't like about Lake Forest…
Nice family community 4 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 03, 2020) We like living in Lake Forest. It is a beautiful town, with terrific beach, quaint downtown and good schools. The area has good restaurants, lots of things to do, shopping, etc. Also we like the express train into Chicago. There are two train stations in Lake Forest, and the Fort ...Read More Sheridan station is also close by.

The tax rate is lower in Lake Forest than in most neighboring communities, so if you are home shopping in the north shore be sure to research property taxes by city. We were surprised at the differences! We saved $7-10K a year by buying in Lake Forest (compared to similarly priced homes in nearby towns.)

We enjoy the festivals and town events, as well as take advantage of those offered in neighboring communities. The community has good sidewalks and bike trails. We like being able to bike to the beach. Also enjoy the parks, rec center, and forest preserves walking trails. There are many nice homes within convenient walking distance to downtown. It is such a pretty community and a great place to live. Like any city, the people are a mix. The town does have its share of fancy mansions and the club member set, but there are also a lot of friendly, down to earth people here too. There are some good family neighborhoods with lots of kids.

One of the things that impresses me most about the area is the active community support and volunteerism. The community actively supports the schools, preserves, city beautification, etc. The town has a Newcomers Club, which is a good way to meet people in the community and has fun activities. It is a nice safe town, and a good place to raise a family. Read Less
Safe city with excellent schools 4 rating By jsteele17 ( Sep 09, 2014) Lake Forest is a very wealthy community in what is known as 'the north shore' - 25 miles north of the city of Chicago along the shore of Lake Michigan. Two train lines run into the city so commuting is very easy (a normal commute is about 60 minutes, but express trains run a few ...Read More times a day and the ride can be as short as 45 minutes). The community is extremely safe, with wonderful schools. It is very clean with a lot of mature trees. Cost of living, and housing, is on the expensive side though, but the same can be said for most of Chicago's wealthy suburbs. Read Less
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Lake Forest Awards

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Compare Lake Forest, IL Livability

      vs

      F Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Lake Forest? Well, there are not many amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Deerpath Community Park
      Lake Forest Recreation Center
      Unknown Name
      Mellody Farm Nature Preserve
      Waveland Park
      Unknown Name
      Veterans Park
      Townline Community Park

      Entertainment

      Unknown Name
      History Center Of Lake Forest- Lake Bluff
      Allan Carr Theater
      Allan Carr Theater
      Unknown Name
      The Cressey Center for the Arts
      McCormick Auditorium
      Unknown Name

      Food & Drink

      Chocolates by Bernard
      Jimmy John's
      Chiefs Bar and Grill
      Sweet's
      Lake Forest Food & Wine
      LF Juice
      Dunkin'
      Einstein Bros. Bagels

      F Commute

      Is public transit available in Lake Forest? Of all people who commute, 14.8% take public transportation in Lake Forest.
      Drive to Work
      57%

      19% lower than the US average

      Take Public Transit
      15%

      10% higher than the US average

      Walk to Work
      5%

      2% higher than the US average

      F Cost of Living

      What is the cost of living in Lake Forest? The cost of living in Lake Forest is 181/100 - which is 88% higher than Illinois.
      Lake Forest
      181

      81% more expensive than average

      Illinois
      96

      4% less expensive than average

      United States
      100

      National cost of living index

      A+ Crime

      What is the crime rate in Lake Forest? Lake Forest crime rates are 687, which are 65% lower than Illinois
      Total Crime
      687 per 100k people

      70% lower than the US average

      Chance of being a victim
      1 in 146

      70% lower than the US average

      Year-over-year crime
      3%

      Year over year crime is up

      A+ Employment

      What is the median income in Lake Forest? The median income in Lake Forest is $189,118 which is 219% higher than Illinois.
      Median household income
      $189,118242% higher than the US average
      Income per capita
      $98,058229% higher than the US average
      Unemployment rate
      2%

      62% lower than the US average

      B- Health & Safety

      Is Lake Forest a healthy and safe place to live? Yes, there are some hospitals, police and fire stations.

      Hospitals

      Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital

      Pharmacies

      CVS Pharmacy
      Walgreens

      Doctors

      North Suburban Center for Oral & Facial Surgery
      Health Center

      A- Housing

      What are Lake Forest home prices? Lake Forest home prices are $818,000 - which is 368% higher than Illinois
      Median home value
      $818,000343% higher than the US average
      Median rent price
      $1,62771% higher than the US average
      Home Ownership
      87%

      37% higher than the US average

      A Schools

      Does Lake Forest have good schools? The Lake Forest graduation rate is 98% - which is 16% higher than Illinois
      High school grad. rates
      98%

      18% higher than the US average

      School test scores
      66%

      37% higher than the US average

      Student teacher ratio
      14:1

      15% lower than the US average

      A+ User Ratings

      Is Lake Forest a good place to live? Lake Forest has an overall rating of 85% from 7 reviews.
      Overall user rating
      85%

      7 total ratings

      User reviews rating
      80%

      2 total reviews

      User surveys rating
      97%

      5 total surveys

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