North Chicago, IL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Illinois·North Chicago

Lake County · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin · population 30,639

First-time buyersInvestors
North Chicago, IL
Image: Wikipedia · North Chicago, Illinois
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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77
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where North Chicago stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.7% in the last year. averaging 8.8% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $214,837
1-year +5.7%
5-yr CAGR +8.8%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$215k$62k$116k$169k$223k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
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.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
77 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
82 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
44 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
95 · w10%
Long thesis

North Chicago has averaged 8.8% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+5.7% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

North Chicago'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 North Chicago

North Chicago is a city in Lake County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 30,639. It anchors the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. The median home value in North Chicago is $214,837 as of 2026-04, up 5.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. The composite momentum score is 77 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.8% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Affordable AND rising: median home $214,837 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +5.7% 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 North Chicago (Wikipedia)

North Chicago is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 30,759 at the 2020 census making it the third-most populous city by population in the county, after Waukegan and Mundelein.

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 Lake County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of North Chicago

8 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Trail Meadows$271,326+11.7%
2Dugdale Park$244,549+13.3%
3Argonne Park$224,847+6.0%
4Lewis Glen$216,850+9.6%
5Argonne Heights$216,288+7.7%
6Midtown$199,386-1.0%
7Uptown$180,725-0.1%
8Westown$144,825+4.0%

Cities like North Chicago

Round Lake Beach, IL71 · RisingDeKalb, IL74 · RisingBelvidere, IL75 · RisingZion, IL77 · Rising

Run the numbers for North Chicago

ToolCan I afford North Chicago?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a North Chicago rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare North Chicago to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolNorth Chicago 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 North Chicago 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.

Cities similar to North Chicago

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