The Town Files

Lake Villa, Illinois

Village in Lake County · population 8,741 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lake Villa is in IllinoisLake Villa
Median home
$351,700
Household income
$118,750
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 82°
Snow a year
43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
18
Median age
40.4

Lake Villa is a village of 8,741 people in Lake County, Illinois. The median home is worth $351,700, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for young professionals than 83% of Illinois towns, more upscale than 81% of Illinois towns, more of a college town than 72% of Illinois towns.

How Lake Villa ranks

Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.

Lake Villa lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement28th pctFamilies56th pctQuiet24th pctWalkability63rd pctFirst-time buyers63rd pctYoung professionals83rd pctVibrancy68th pctHip & trendy31st pctCollege town72nd pctUpscale81st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling66th pctTransit72nd pctDriving26th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Lake Villa is worth $351,700, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $118,750, which is more affordable than 21% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,533 a month. 74.3% of households own their home.

Lake Villa vs Lake County vs typical Illinois townLake VillaLake CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$351,700$345,700$156,600Household income$118,750$110,416$72,500Monthly rent$1,533$1,477$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingLake VillaTypical Illinois town
Median home value$351,700$156,600
Median rent$1,533$960
Median household income$118,750$72,500
Home value ÷ income3.0×2.2×
Homeownership74.3%76.6%
Median year built19961967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Lake Villa

PeopleLake VillaTypical Illinois town
Median age40.440.4
Age 65 and over12.7%18.7%
Under 1826.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher55.6%21.8%
Below the poverty line3.2%9.9%
Veterans4.9%—
Born outside the U.S.14.0%—
Work from home19.7%8.9%
Average commute33.7 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband97.3%90.4%

Weather in Lake Villa

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 14.6°F. About 37.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 43.4 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 132 nights at or below freezing.

Lake Villa monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing30°15°Jan34°18°Feb45°27°Mar57°37°Apr69°48°May78°58°Jun82°63°Jul81°62°Aug73°54°Sep60°43°Oct47°31°Nov35°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.115.71.98.02.65.84.11.54.44.23.93.33.43.00.12.53.12.39.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lake Villa 2Ne station (1.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Villa since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 18, 1997 about 1.7 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 1 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 17, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lake Villa by decade41950s11960s31970s21980s31990s12000s12010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 56 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on May 2, 2018.

Severe weather in Lake County since 1996

Storm events in Lake County since 1996 by typeHail168Flood49Drought24High Wind40Lightning24Heavy Rain21Heavy Snow15Flash Flood47
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lake County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 15 deaths recorded.

Lake County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3435: Covid-19
May 10, 2013FloodDR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
March 17, 2011SnowstormDR-1960: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
June 24, 2008Severe StormDR-1771: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Lake County

Lake County had 329,354 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $91,042 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Lake Villa itself the ACS puts it at 4.9%.

Largest industries in Lake CountyManufacturing52,776 jobs · $144,717Retail36,424 jobs · $55,434Health care & social assistan…32,507 jobs · $64,636Hotels & restaurants25,069 jobs · $30,025Administrative & support23,865 jobs · $70,615Wholesale trade22,920 jobs · $138,370
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lake County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Lake 5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Lake Villa

7 public schools with 4,108 students, about 13.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Lakes Community High School9-121,32914.9
Peter J Palombi School6-885114.4
Oakland Elementary SchoolK-554012.0
Olive C Martin SchoolPK-553514.5
William L Thompson SchoolPK-548315.6
Pleviak Elem SchoolK-K37010.9
Allendale School9-12——

Towns near Lake Villa

Lake Villa questions

Is Lake Villa, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake Villa scores better for retirees than 28% of Illinois towns and quieter than 24%. 12.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.4).

How much does a house cost in Lake Villa?

The median owner-occupied home in Lake Villa is valued at $351,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $118,750, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,533 a month.

What is the weather like in Lake Villa?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 14.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.8 inches of precipitation a year and 43.4 inches of snow.

Does Lake Villa get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lake Villa since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 18, 1997. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lake Villa's Census boundary (GEOID 1741586). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.