Lake Forest, IL · standard
ZIP Code 60045
Lake County, Illinois — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 20,925
- 381/sq mi
- $233,125
- Median income
- $923,500
- Median home value
- 81.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Lake Forest pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 1%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 3%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 381
- people per sq mi
- 89%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 60045 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 60045 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 54.9 square miles in Lake Forest, Lake County, Illinois. The area is home to 20,925 residents, producing a population density of 381 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 60045 against Illinois and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 60045 sits at $233,125 (191% above the Illinois average), while per-capita income is $107,457. The poverty rate stands at 3.5% and the unemployment rate at 1.8%. On housing, the median home value is $923,500 (381% above the state average) with median rent at $1,857 per month, and 89.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 60045 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 81.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.9, and the average commute is 31 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Lake County, so you can benchmark 60045 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 60045
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 60045.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
189 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
116 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
94 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 72
Other services (except public administration)
72 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 68
Real estate and rental and leasing
68 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 60045, Lake Forest, IL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
20,925
Population
54.9
Area (sq mi)
381
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 60045?
45.9
Median Age
48.0%
Male
52.0%
Female
11.4%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$233,125
Median Household Income
+191% vs state
$107,457
Per Capita Income
3.5%
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Unemployment Rate
30.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 60045 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$233,125 Top 1% higher than 99% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
7,864
Total Housing Units
7,470
Occupied Units
394
Vacant Units
2.65
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$923,500
Median Home Value
+381% vs state
$1,857
Median Rent
1977
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+6.9%
YoY Change (2024)
159
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+59%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 60045 have increased 6.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +59% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.0% | 117 |
| 2021 | +6.0% | 124 |
| 2022 | +13.6% | 141 |
| 2023 | +5.3% | 148 |
| 2024 | +6.9% | 159 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 940 business establishments in ZIP 60045, employing approximately 24,318 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,288,234,000.
940
Businesses
24,318
Employees
$3.3B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 189 | 20.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 116 | 12.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 94 | 10.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 72 | 7.7% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 68 | 7.2% |
| Retail trade | 66 | 7.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 65 | 6.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 64 | 6.8% |
| Construction | 46 | 4.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 35 | 3.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 34 | 3.6% |
| Manufacturing | 25 | 2.7% |
| Educational services | 23 | 2.5% |
| Information | 15 | 1.6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 14 | 1.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11 | 1.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 60045 vs 60044 →
ZIP 60045 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 60085
Waukegan (60085)
71,714 residents
- 60035
Highland Park (60035)
29,763 residents
- 60048
Libertyville (60048)
29,095 residents
- 60015 26,800
Deerfield (60015)
26,800 residents
- 60061 25,748
Vernon Hills (60061)
25,748 residents
- 60045 20,925
Lake Forest (60045)
20,925 residents
- 60088 15,761
Great Lakes (60088)
15,761 residents
- 60064 15,407
North Chicago (60064)
15,407 residents
- 60044 9,792
Lake Bluff (60044)
9,792 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 60045 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 60045 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 60045
Lake Forest (60045)
$233,125 median income
- 60015
Deerfield (60015)
$183,125 median income
- 60048
Libertyville (60048)
$173,975 median income
- 60035
Highland Park (60035)
$168,094 median income
- 60069
Lincolnshire (60069)
$162,826 median income
- 60044
Lake Bluff (60044)
$134,724 median income
- 60061
Vernon Hills (60061)
$124,468 median income
- 60040
Highwood (60040)
$107,875 median income
- 60085 $66,793
Waukegan (60085)
$66,793 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 60045 ranks the highest of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60044 | Lake Bluff, IL | 9,792 | 3.2 mi |
| 60015 | Deerfield, IL | 26,800 | 4.6 mi |
| 60088 | Great Lakes, IL | 15,761 | 4.8 mi |
| 60040 | Highwood, IL | 5,431 | 3.7 mi |
| 60064 | North Chicago, IL | 15,407 | 5.8 mi |
| 60061 | Vernon Hills, IL | 25,748 | 4.7 mi |
| 60069 | Lincolnshire, IL | 8,384 | 4.0 mi |
| 60035 | Highland Park, IL | 29,763 | 4.8 mi |
| 60085 | Waukegan, IL | 71,714 | 7.9 mi |
| 60048 | Libertyville, IL | 29,095 | 5.7 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Lake County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 60045 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 60045? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 60045? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 60045? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 60045? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 60045? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 60045? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 60045? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 60045? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 60045? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 60045? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 60045? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Lake Forest, IL
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.