Population 15,160 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Great Lakes
Household size in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.65 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.71 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.69 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.96 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
At 2.69 people per household, Great Lakes sits close to the national average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 3.65 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.6 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 22.4 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 22.1 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 21.4 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Great Lakes is young: half of its residents are under 21.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties. The median age has climbed from 19.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. No other Illinois city with 5,000+ people is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.2% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.5% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Great Lakes as they are nationally: 12.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 5.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Great Lakes
Renters in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 100.0% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 100.0% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 99.3% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 99.6% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Great Lakes: 99.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 36.3% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Great Lakes has the highest share of renters of any Illinois city with 5,000+ people.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.2% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Great Lakes than nationally: 12.8%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Great Lakes leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the wider Chicago area, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the northeast.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,169 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,296 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,731 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,805 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$636 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Great Lakes costs $1,805 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $636 a month from 2006–10, a 54% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.9% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northeast; the highest are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Great Lakes
Bachelor's degrees in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.2% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.1% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.4% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −17.6 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Great Lakes have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.6%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has fallen 17.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Only 12 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.7% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 99.0% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.1% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.8% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Great Lakes: 99.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Only one other Illinois city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Great Lakes
| Period | Great Lakes | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.3% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.3% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Great Lakes has been strong: just 1.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only three of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 4.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Great Lakes compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes | 2.69 | 21.4 | 12.0% | 99.6% | 12.8% | 1974 | $1,805 | 13.6% | 99.8% | 1.3% |
| North Chicago | 3.00 | 31.5 | 23.1% | 55.4% | 11.6% | 1965 | $1,090 | 12.2% | 71.5% | 10.5% |
| Lake Bluff | 2.58 | 42.8 | 5.0% | 28.6% | 8.7% | 1977 | $1,939 | 67.9% | 96.1% | 3.4% |
| Green Oaks | 2.99 | 41.1 | 4.2% | 13.1% | 5.1% | 1989 | $1,928 | 70.6% | 96.5% | 5.0% |
| Park City | 3.27 | 31.8 | 22.4% | 34.9% | 3.2% | 1990 | $1,381 | 21.6% | 69.9% | 6.9% |
| Waukegan | 2.90 | 36.4 | 16.5% | 50.6% | 6.0% | 1963 | $1,278 | 19.1% | 73.3% | 6.9% |
| Lake Forest | 2.72 | 46.6 | 5.0% | 11.3% | 8.3% | 1976 | $1,997 | 79.9% | 97.7% | 1.9% |
| Mettawa | 2.44 | 48.3 | 3.0% | 19.6% | 11.7% | 1993 | $3,247 | 67.7% | 98.1% | 2.6% |
| Libertyville | 2.67 | 43.5 | 5.2% | 19.2% | 5.0% | 1972 | $1,711 | 70.8% | 97.5% | 2.9% |
| Gurnee | 2.63 | 41.4 | 7.3% | 22.1% | 3.1% | 1989 | $1,727 | 55.5% | 95.2% | 5.3% |
| Highwood | 2.56 | 41.5 | 5.7% | 43.2% | 2.9% | 1958 | $1,984 | 42.6% | 82.7% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Vernon, NJ · Colonial Park, PA · Columbia Falls, MT · Columbia, KY · Cottonwood, CA · Townsend, DE · Tuscumbia, AL · Union, SC · Van Wert, OH · College Park, GA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Great Lakes. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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