Cost of living in Lake Bluff research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Lake Bluff is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Lake Bluff is 168, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lake Bluff is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Lake Bluff ranks as the #326 cheapest in Illinois out of 336.
Lake Bluff ranks as the #6,033 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Lake Bluff is $615,952.
The median income in Lake Bluff is $205,735.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lake Bluff has an overall cost of living index of 168, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Lake Bluff has a cost of living index that's 1.7x higher than Illinois's index of 97.
The standard of living in Lake Bluff ranks as #326 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Lake Bluff ranks as the #10 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Lake Bluff, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Lake Bluff. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Lake Bluff is 105.
The Groceries index in Lake Bluff is 102.
The Health index in Lake Bluff is 109.
The Housing index in Lake Bluff is 313.
The Transportation index in Lake Bluff is 107.
The Utilities index in Lake Bluff is 88.
| Living Expense | Lake Bluff | Illinois | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 168 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 105 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 109 | 93 | 100 | |
| Housing | 313 | 95 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 88 | 91 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Lake Bluff is $615,952.
The Median Rent in Lake Bluff is $1,826.
The Median Income in Lake Bluff is $205,735.
The Home Value To Income in Lake Bluff is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lake Bluff is 0.11x.
| Statistic | Lake Bluff | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $615,952 | $283,508 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,826 | $1,227 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $205,735 | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 3.0x | 3.5x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.11x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Lake Bluff | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.27 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $17.91 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.58 | $18 |
| Haircut | $33.69 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $53.44 | $45.56 |
| Item | Lake Bluff | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.28 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.42 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.87 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.9 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.41 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.0 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
| Item | Lake Bluff | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $118.27 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $167.67 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $128.22 | $113.29 |
| Item | Lake Bluff | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.56 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $70.87 | $59.92 |
| Item | Lake Bluff | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $148.58 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $210.03 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Lake Bluff. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Waukegan, IL has a cost of living index of 97, 0.6x Lake Bluff.
Arlington Heights, IL has a cost of living index of 124, 0.7x Lake Bluff.
Glenview, IL has a cost of living index of 149, 0.9x Lake Bluff.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lake Bluff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan, IL | 88,919 | 97 | 0.6x |
| Arlington Heights, IL | 76,220 | 124 | 0.7x |
| Glenview, IL | 47,682 | 149 | 0.9x |
| Buffalo Grove, IL | 42,824 | 125 | 0.7x |
| Park Ridge, IL | 39,241 | 138 | 0.8x |
| Northbrook, IL | 34,642 | 153 | 0.9x |
| North Chicago, IL | 30,772 | 95 | 0.6x |
| Highland Park, IL | 30,229 | 148 | 0.9x |
| Wilmette, IL | 27,550 | 164 | 1.0x |
| Libertyville, IL | 20,493 | 135 | 0.8x |