Lake in the Hills, IL

All states·Illinois·Lake in the Hills

McHenry County · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin · population 28,706

Investors
Lake in the Hills, IL
Image: Wikipedia · Lake in the Hills, Illinois
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Lake in the Hills stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 8.1% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $376,342
1-year +3.6%
5-yr CAGR +8.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$376k$182k$252k$322k$391k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
78/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,268/mo$2,060$2,302$2,5442026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent1041031002026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.8
Buy

At a 13.8 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Lake in the Hills on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.8 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
68 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
79 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
41 · w16%
Rent YoY
69 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
73 · w10%
Long thesis

Lake in the Hills has averaged 8.1% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+3.6% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Lake in the Hills's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Lake in the Hills

Lake in the Hills is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 28,706. It anchors the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. The median home value in Lake in the Hills is $376,342 as of 2026-04, up 3.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Lake in the Hills average $2,268 per month, up 3.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.1% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Quiet strength: +3.6% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Lake in the Hills (Wikipedia)

Lake in the Hills is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,982.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for McHenry County right now.

NWS active alerts (IL)Illinois Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. McHenry County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Lake in the Hills

Wheeling, IL67 · RisingAlgonquin, IL73 · RisingCary, IL73 · RisingWoodstock, IL72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Lake in the Hills

ToolCan I afford Lake in the Hills?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Lake in the Hills rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Lake in the Hills to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLake in the Hills cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
33° / 18°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
189
~52% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
22″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Lake in the Hills listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$78,400
Illinois state median
Top industries (state-level)
FinanceManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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