5 MPH sharp left curve sign - Knollwood-Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, 2026
Knollwood’s story
Knollwood in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2026 and 5 maps from 1906 on.
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KnollwoodIL
This town in Illinois has a population of 1,864.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: AlphaBeta135 · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,864
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$393K
Census ACS
Household income
$139K
median
Median age
36.4
years
Jobs based here
849
Balanced
Is Knollwood a good place to live?
The best of Knollwood’s subject grades are an A+ for health and schools and an A for incomes; the weakest is a C for cost of living. Only 10 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on hazard risk. Knollwood is more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Only 40 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on health. On history, just 18 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Knollwood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Knollwood stand out
Where Knollwood beats most towns.
32 measures vs. Illinois
22 better9 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Knollwood | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 15.9% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 85% of U.S. towns
3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
A growing town
Knollwood has grown 21% from 2010 to 2020
1,747 counted in 2010 and 2,121 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Knollwood grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Knollwood is from typical.
HealthNorthwestern Lake Forest Hospital 2 miles awayA+Open →SchoolsBeat 95% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationA+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 8% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Jobs & income$139K median household incomeAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10 of 20; 0% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $393K, 4.3 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household incomeCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 1% conserved landCOpen →HistoryIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 185 attractions →Wrigley Field and 146 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Knollwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
6 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great America3.0M visitors a year
Big draw38 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaRate FieldSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Six Flags Great America: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
_-_Chicago,_IL_-_June_2026.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Knollwood: who provides what
Knollwood is unincorporated, so Lake County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLake Bluff water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLake CountyLake County provides services here
SchoolsLake Bluff Elementary School District 65Lake Forest Community High School District 1152 districts serve Knollwood; 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 code6004460044 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 Knollwood.
HealthA+
A smaller share of adults in Knollwood smoke cigarettes than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
7.3% of adults worry about having enough food in Knollwood. The share of adults in Knollwood who sleep under 7 hours is 29%, where Illinois’ towns sit at 35% and U.S. towns at 36%. The town beats the Illinois average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Knollwood | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.2% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
22 better9 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Knollwood | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.1% | 7.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.6% |
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital
2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Knollwood stands out in Illinois and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
52% of Knollwood’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 22%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities.
8risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
More children than Illinois overall
In Knollwood, the midpoint age is 36.4 years. Children under 18 are 37% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (23% statewide). The share of adults 25 and older in Knollwood who hold a bachelor’s degree or more: 43%.
36.4median age · IL 39
| Knollwood | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.4 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
KnollwoodIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school24%
Some college12%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s35%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 41% and 62% women
The Census survey reached too few of Knollwood’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.2 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Knollwood | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 22.6% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.2% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.7% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 4.7% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.1% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.6% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.7% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 34.8% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,900, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Knollwood: four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 82° in July, and January nights bottom out around 17°; snowfall runs to about 34 inches a winter. Knollwood has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–34°
Spring38–56°
Summer61–80°
Fall43–61°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
With 0.9 jobs for every working resident, most of Knollwood’s workers commute out
This Illinois town had 849 jobs in 2023, up 181 from 2013. 1.3% of Knollwood working residents work locally. The average commute locally is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Chicago (18%), Lake Bluff (7%) and Lake Forest (5%).
1%work in town
| Knollwood | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.8% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Knollwood1%
Chicago18%
Lake Bluff7%
Lake Forest5%
Libertyville Township5%
11 mi
median commute distance
849
jobs based in Knollwood
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.3%conserved
1.3%
conserved · 5 of 384 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Knollwood Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C
The median home in Knollwood sells for about $510K
Knollwood’s rent at the middle of the market comes in at $1,659 a month. Among households locally, 78% live in a home they own.
$510Kmedian sale price
| Knollwood | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,659 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 75% | 73% |
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Knollwood
17pages on Knollwood
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Knollwood
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · North Chicago1.5 miLake Forest CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lake Forest3.6 mi$56,402 tuitionCollege of Lake CountyCommunity college · Public · Grayslake8.3 mi$4,788 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Knollwood residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
About Knollwood
Census-designated place in Illinois, United States
Knollwood is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 2,221. It is located within Shields Township and Libertyville Township. Knollwood shares a ZIP Code with the neighboring village of Lake Bluff, and children attend Lake Bluff schools. The residents of Knollwood were served by the Knollwood Fire Department until October 2018, after the trustees of the Rockland Fire Protection District ended their relationship with the department. Residents now receive fire protection from the Libertyville and Lake Forest fire departments.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Area code
- 847
Knollwood’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Knollwood.
Lake BluffGreen OaksShields TownshipLibertyville TownshipKnollwood
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knollwood | — | — | C | — | A+ | A+ |
| Lake Bluff | #15 | A+ | D | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Green Oaks | #55 | A+ | C− | — | A+ | A |
| Shields Township | #209 | A− | D | — | B+ | A |
| Libertyville Township | #40 | A+ | C− | — | A+ | A+ |
Knollwood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Knollwood, Green Oaks, Shields Township and Libertyville Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Knollwood with a neighbor →
Questions about Knollwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Knollwood, IL expensive?
The typical home is worth about $393,000, 33% above the Illinois typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.