Is Lake of the Woods, IL a Good Place to Live?
Lake of the Woods is a small town of 2,350 in Illinois, with a median household income of $69,191 and a 7.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 91 (US average = 100), which is 9% below the national average.
Strengths: Lake of the Woods stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Lake of the Woods is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake of the Woods city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 90.8Lake of the Woods's overall cost of living index is 90.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake of the Woods costs roughly 9% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $197,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,102 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $69,191 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageLake of the Woods's violent crime rate is 355.8 per 100,000 residents — 6% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 43.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake of the Woods sees average highs of 33.1°F in January and 83.6°F in July, with 40.4 inches of annual precipitation and 17.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 33.1°F |
| Average High — July | 83.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,350 | — |
| Median Age | 37.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 98.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 28.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.4% | 16.8% |