The Mother Rudd Barn Historic Garden, 1840
Gurnee’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 503 in 1930, 30,706 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1840 and 5 maps from 1906 on.
- 1874Gurnee is settled
Photo: Kman2005 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
30,458
2025 Census estimate · −0.8% since 2020
Typical home
$381K
+5.3% in a year
Household income
$120K
median
Median age
40.1
years
Jobs based here
18,576
Balanced
TownGrade
B−
#450 of 767 in IL
Is Gurnee a good place to live?
Gurnee grades B− overall, ranked 450th of 767 in Illinois, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $120K. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $381K, 4.2 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. 57% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Gurnee, above both Illinois’ towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 75 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on hazard risk. The biggest park or preserve is Lake Carina Forest Preserve, at 102 acres.
What makes Gurnee stand out
Where Gurnee beats most towns.
Get outside
15 miles of trails in Gurnee
9.6% of the town is conserved land, across 19 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Gurnee grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Gurnee is from typical.
HealthVista Medical Center East 5.4 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & income18,576 jobs based hereAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 21% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.6 of 20; 5% of households have no car; 1.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SafetyCOpen →SchoolsBeat 51% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10% conserved landAOpen →History6 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life3.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 188 attractions →Six Flags Great America and 126 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gurnee. Close and well known come first.
Big drawin town Theme parkSix Flags Great America3.0M visitors a year
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
25 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
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gurnee: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gurnee, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGurnee water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressDay by addressTown site
SchoolsWarren Township High School District 121Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50Gurnee School District 563 districts serve Gurnee; 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 code6003160031 99%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 Gurnee.
Gurnee has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims and has property taxes 1.6 times the Illinois norm.
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers 9.6% of Gurnee
15 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. The trail density in Gurnee is 1.1 miles per square mile.
#92for trails in IL
| Gurnee | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.6% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
9.6%
conserved · 828 of 8,650 acres
15 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Viking Park | 1.5 mi | 45 |
| 2. Hunt Club Park | 1.2 mi | 47 |
| 3. Esper Petersen Park | 0.8 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthA
Gurnee earns an A for health
14% of Gurnee adults report frequent mental distress. Gurnee beats the Illinois average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 18% of Gurnee adults have been diagnosed with depression.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Gurnee | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
16 better16 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Gurnee | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 15.9% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 10.3% |
North Chicago VA Medical Center
5.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
84th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Gurnee
86 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 12 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 86 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gurnee.
21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
86
paid flood claims since 1979
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Gurnee earns a C− for cost of living
The median property tax bill is $8,491, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Gurnee’s median rent is $1,655 a month. Typical home values rose 5.3% in the year to September 2026.
$381KZillow home value
| Gurnee | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,655 a month | $1,128 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Gurnee$381K
Illinois$296K
Market temperature
40
days on market
100.4%
sale-to-list price
+5.3%
value change, 1 year
38
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyC
Crime per resident in Gurnee is higher than in 69% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 718 to 639 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
31%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Gurnee1.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Gurnee19.7
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
31st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
23rd
percentile among IL towns
37
violent crimes reported in 2025
602
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Gurnee
Gurnee has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–33°
Spring37–57°
Summer60–80°
Fall43–61°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
With 1.3 jobs for every working resident, Gurnee draws in 17,119 commuters
Most working residents leave Gurnee for work: only 10% work in town. 19% of workers work from home in Gurnee. The top destinations are Chicago (10%), Waukegan (8%) and Libertyville Township (4%).
10%work in town
| Gurnee | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $120,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 19% | 11% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Gurnee10%
Chicago10%
Waukegan8%
Libertyville Township4%
North Chicago4%
13 mi
median commute distance
18,576
jobs based in Gurnee
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 72% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gurnee
20pages on Gurnee
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 51% of IL districtsSafetyC1.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than IL on 16 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$381K typical home · up 5.3% in a yearWork & commuteA$120K median household income · 18,576 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 21% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Gurnee
College of Lake CountyCommunity college · Public · Grayslake4 mi$4,788 in-state tuitionRosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · North Chicago6.2 miUniversity of Saint Mary of the LakeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mundelein7 mi
About 7 of every 100 Gurnee residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Famous people from Gurnee
6 notable people were born in Gurnee.
B
Brandon PaulAmerican basketball player · born 1991
I
Isaiah ParkerAmerican soccer player · born 2002D
Darius PaulAmerican basketball player · born 1994I
Isaac Jean-PaulAmerican Paralympic athlete · born 1993About Gurnee
Village in Illinois, United States
Gurnee ( ghər-NEE) is a village in Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,706. Located in the Chicago metropolitan area, it borders the city of Waukegan. It is roughly 40 miles (64 km) north of Chicago and 50 miles (80 km) south of Milwaukee. The village was founded in 1928 and is named after former Chicago mayor Walter S. Gurnee. The village is a major regional tourist attraction, home to the Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor Chicago amusement park and water park complex, the Gurnee Mills shopping mall, and the Great Wolf Lodge resort. Attracting more than 23 million visitors annually, Gurnee is accessible via Interstate 94 which…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1928
- Area
- 14 sq mi
- Elevation
- 679 ft
- ZIP code
- 60031
Gurnee’s neighbors
8 towns share a border with Gurnee.
WaukeganGages LakeGrandwood ParkPark CityWarren TownshipWaukegan TownshipThird LakeWadsworthGurnee
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gurnee | #450 | B− | C− | C | B− | A |
| Waukegan · Waukegan Township | #639 | C− | C+ | C | C | C |
| Gages Lake | #310 | B+ | C− | — | B | A |
| Grandwood Park | #316 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Park City | #277 | A− | A | — | C | B+ |
| Warren Township | #362 | B+ | C− | — | B− | A |
| Third Lake | — | — | B− | — | B+ | A |
| Wadsworth | #499 | B− | C | — | C | A |
Third Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Gages Lake, Grandwood Park, Park City, Warren Township, Third Lake and Wadsworth report no FBI crime data of their own. Waukegan Township and Waukegan are one community, graded once. Compare Gurnee with a neighbor →
Questions about Gurnee
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gurnee, IL a good place to live?
Gurnee grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #450 of 767 in Illinois. It grades A for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Gurnee, IL expensive?
Yes. 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 Gurnee, IL known for?
6 notable people were born here, including Brandon Paul and Greg Rallo.