Lake in the Hills vs New Baltimore

Which is the better fit for you?

Lake in the Hills, IL
63
Area Score
Top 37% nationally
New Baltimore, MI
62
Area Score
Top 40% nationally

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Lake in the Hills receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Lake in the Hills to New Baltimore

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Everyday prices
4% lower
Regional price level 98.2 against 102.5 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$799 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,300 in New Baltimore against $2,099 in Lake in the Hills.
The median home
About the same
$323,200 in New Baltimore against $321,900 in Lake in the Hills.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F milder
Normal January lows are 18°F in New Baltimore against 16°F in Lake in the Hills; July highs are 82°F against 84°F (summers 2°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

33 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Lake in the Hills
New Baltimore
Opportunity: Lake in the Hills is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs
42 · Bottom 21%
Growth: New Baltimore is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
44 · Bottom 36%
vs
51 · Top 50%
Climate: New Baltimore is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
60 · Bottom 15%
vs
62 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience: New Baltimore is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs
80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability: Lake in the Hills is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
72 · Top 33%
vs
64 · Bottom 44%
Schools
73 · Top 21%
vs
73 · Top 21%
Access: Lake in the Hills is the more favorable of the two.
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs
76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability: Lake in the Hills is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
80 · Top 5%
vs
69 · Top 26%

Measured values

MetricLake in the HillsNew BaltimoreSource period
Population28,80012,0722024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$117,151 ±$4,438$106,033 ±$16,6922024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$44,465 ±$1,818$46,284 ±$3,2842024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,822/sq mi2,624/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$321,900$323,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,689$1,039 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,099$1,300 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index102.598.2 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate84.4%83.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.6% — more favorable6.0%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−3.1%−0.6% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher35.8% — more favorable30.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate4.1% ±1%5.8% ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)222612 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.82.2 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+29.4%+36.8%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high84°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low16°F18°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation33.2"35.0"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport25 mi — more favorable45 miNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate35.0 min ±1.5 min33.4 min ±2.1 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.844.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools682024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.3 — more favorable17.42024-25 school year
Math proficiency44.6%57.6%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency49.3%61.1%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility33.2%25.6%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.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Illinois and Michigan do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Lake in the Hills
—
Lake in the Hills: Your Score
63
Area Score
New Baltimore
—
New Baltimore: Your Score
62
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Lake in the Hills, IL · New Baltimore, MI · How this is calculated: methodology