Grayslake, Illinois downtown, 2006
Grayslake’s story
140 years in pictures
Census counts: 416 in 1900, 21,248 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 5 maps from 1920 on.
- 1886Grayslake is settled
GrayslakeIL
A town of 21,140, settled in 1886.
Population
21,140
2025 Census estimate · −0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$373K
+5.6% in a year
Household income
$114K
median
Median age
37.2
years
Jobs based here
7,747
Balanced
TownGrade
A+
#52 of 767 in IL
Why does Grayslake grade so well?
Few places in the country grade higher. Grayslake earns an A+, ranked 52nd of 767 in Illinois. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country, the median household earns $114K, and it reports less crime per resident than 78% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. 58% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Grayslake, above both the Illinois town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Grayslake is home to College of Lake County. On the outdoors, just 114 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do better.
What makes Grayslake stand out
Where Grayslake beats most towns.
College town
College of Lake County calls Grayslake home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Grayslake grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Grayslake is from typical.
HealthAdvocate Condell Medical Center 6.2 miles awayAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.2 of 20; 3.7% of households have no carA−Open →Jobs & income7,747 jobs based hereA−Open →SafetyA−Open →SchoolsBeat 74% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trails; 9% conserved landAOpen →History3 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life5.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 189 attractions →Six Flags Great America and 122 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Grayslake. Close and well known come first.
Big draw5 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great America3.0M visitors a year
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
24 mi Stadium & arenaAllstate Arena
Big draw38 mi MuseumArt Institute of Chicago1.5M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Six Flags Great America: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0 · Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Allstate Arena: Nkon21, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Art Institute of Chicago: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Grayslake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grayslake, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGrayslake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offGroot North Transfer Station, 2 miOpenStreetMap
SchoolsGrayslake Community High School District 127Grayslake Consolidated Community School District 46Fremont School District 793 districts serve Grayslake; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLake County ClerkLake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2024
ZIP code6003060030 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Grayslake.
Grayslake has less food insecurity than most of Illinois and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
HealthA
Grayslake’s grade for health is an A
Its widest gap with Illinois is food insecurity: 8.9% of its 16,222 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.9% statewide.
10% of adults report frequent physical distress in Grayslake. Grayslake beats the Illinois average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 16% of adults get no exercise outside work in Grayslake.
94%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Grayslake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 23% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
18 better14 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Grayslake | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 9.9% |
Advocate Condell Medical Center
6.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
91st
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers 9.1% of Grayslake
6.7 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Alleghany Park, at 64 acres.
#224for trails in IL
| Grayslake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.1% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
9.1%
conserved · 648 of 7,096 acres
6.7 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Central Park | 0.4 mi | 49 |
| 2. Alleghany Park | — | 64 |
| 3. Almond Marsh Forest Preserve | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyA−
Grayslake’s grade for safety is an A−
Reported crimes fell from 252 to 116 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Grayslake is 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
78%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Grayslake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.4 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Grayslake0.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Grayslake4.4
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
78th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
72nd
percentile among IL towns
6
violent crimes reported in 2025
110
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade C+
Grayslake’s typical home value is about $373K
The typical Grayslake home is worth about $373,000, up 5.6% in a year, 26% above the Illinois typical home. Grayslake’s median rent is $1,485 a month.
$373KZillow home value
Typical home value
Grayslake$373K
Illinois$296K
Market temperature
48
days on market
101.7%
sale-to-list price
+5.6%
value change, 1 year
32
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Grayslake, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Grayslake has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 15° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–33°
Spring37–57°
Summer60–81°
Fall42–61°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Grayslake
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Grayslake.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
14
paid flood claims since 1986
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Grayslake’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Grayslake for work: only 8% work in town. 20% of Grayslake workers work from home. The top destinations are Chicago (10%), Libertyville (5%) and Gurnee (4%).
8%work in town
| Grayslake | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 20% | 11% | 11% |
| Median household income | $114,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Grayslake8%
Chicago10%
Libertyville5%
Gurnee4%
Waukegan4%
13 mi
median commute distance
7,747
jobs based in Grayslake
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Grayslake
20pages on Grayslake
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 74% of IL districtsSafetyA−0.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than IL on 18 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$373K typical home · up 5.6% in a yearWork & commuteA−$114K median household income · 7,747 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Grayslake
College of Lake CountyCommunity college · Public · GrayslakeIn town$4,788 in-state tuitionUniversity of Saint Mary of the LakeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mundelein4.5 miRosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · North Chicago9.3 mi
About 7 of every 100 Grayslake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Famous people from Grayslake
3 notable people were born in Grayslake.
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Grayslake’s neighbors
10 towns share a border with Grayslake.
Round Lake BeachGages LakeLibertyvilleAvon TownshipThird LakeRound Lake ParkWarren TownshipHainesvilleMundeleinLake Villa TownshipGrayslake
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayslake | #52 | A+ | C+ | A− | B+ | A |
| Round Lake Beach | #505 | B− | C | B+ | B− | C+ |
| Gages Lake | #310 | B+ | C− | — | B | A |
| Libertyville | #7 | A+ | C− | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Avon Township | #401 | B | C | — | B− | A− |
| Third Lake | — | — | B− | — | B+ | A |
| Round Lake Park | #215 | A− | B | A | B | B− |
| Warren Township | #362 | B+ | C− | — | B− | A |
Third Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Gages Lake, Avon Township, Third Lake and Warren Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Grayslake with a neighbor →
Questions about Grayslake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Grayslake, IL a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Grayslake grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #52 of 767 in Illinois. It grades A for health, A− for safety and B+ for schools.
Is Grayslake, IL expensive?
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($90,887 across the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
What is Grayslake, IL known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Korbin Shrader and Pete Loeffler.