Gurnee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Gurnee
Round Lake
Opportunity: Gurnee is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
62 · Top 37%
vs59 · Top 43%
Growth: Gurnee is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs35 · Bottom 24%
Climate
60 · Bottom 15%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 23%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability: Gurnee is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 10%
Schools: Round Lake is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
28 · Bottom 20%
vs35 · Bottom 29%
Access: Gurnee is the more favorable of the two.
Access
87 · Bottom 34%
vs86 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability: Gurnee is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
79 · Top 9%
vs76 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Gurnee | Round Lake | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,510 | 18,628 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,628 | $111,977 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,525 | $42,490 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,258/sq mi | 3,350/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $344,300 | $278,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,655 | $1,710 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 77.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.7% | 41.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.2% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 45 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 50.0% | 50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.3" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.5 min | 34.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.62 | 12.72 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 10.9% | 12.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 17.0% | 19.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 44.4% | 79.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Gurnee
69
Your Score
66
Area Score
Round Lake
66
Your Score
64
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Gurnee, IL · Round Lake, IL · How this is calculated: methodology