MonitorBankRates
☰
New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

Lake Forest, IL Housing Affordability Index

Lake Forest, Illinois has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 96.3 (Near National Average) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 1149th most affordable of 1,249 scored Illinois cities, compared with 102.2 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $938,300 home with 20% down, the Illinois average 30-year fixed rate of 7.31% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $5,153, or 26% of the city’s $235,081 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Lake Forest is updated every night from live Illinois mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Lake Forest MBR-HAI 96.3 Near National Average
Rank in Illinois 1,149 of 1,249 1 = most affordable
Illinois 102.2 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.31% Illinois lenders
Median home value $938,300 U.S. Census Bureau

Lake Forest is 5.9 points below the Illinois score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Illinois index

View Lake Forest Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Lake Forest

$5,153/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.31%
$220,900
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$235,081
Median Household Income
Illinois: $83,390
4.0x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Illinois: 3.2x
$2,936/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$4,987/yr
Median Property Tax
Illinois figure
31.5%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
32.1%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Lake Forest, Illinois. The rate is the Illinois average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.

Cite the Lake Forest Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Lake Forest, Illinois score: 96.3 (Near National Average), ranked 1,149 of 1,249 Illinois cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/illinois/lake-forest”