The Town Files

Round Lake Heights, Illinois

Village in Lake County · population 2,622 (2020 Census)

Map: where Round Lake Heights is in IllinoisRound Lake Heights
Median home
$216,800
Household income
$78,986
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 82°
Snow a year
43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
20
Median age
29.5

Round Lake Heights is a village of 2,622 people in Lake County, Illinois. The median home is worth $216,800, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks more of a college town than 95% of Illinois towns, more walkable than 81% of Illinois towns.

How Round Lake Heights ranks

Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.

Round Lake Heights lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement3rd pctFamilies46th pctQuiet12th pctWalkability81st pctFirst-time buyers50th pctYoung professionals61st pctVibrancy68th pctHip & trendy31st pctCollege town95th pctUpscale61st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling68th pctTransit61st pctDriving39th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Round Lake Heights is worth $216,800, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $78,986, which is more affordable than 31% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,453 a month. 76.3% of households own their home.

Round Lake Heights vs Lake County vs typical Illinois townRound Lake HeightsLake CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$216,800$345,700$156,600Household income$78,986$110,416$72,500Monthly rent$1,453$1,477$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingRound Lake HeightsTypical Illinois town
Median home value$216,800$156,600
Median rent$1,453$960
Median household income$78,986$72,500
Home value ÷ income2.7×2.2×
Homeownership76.3%76.6%
Median year built19901967
Seasonal / vacation homes1.3%—

Who lives in Round Lake Heights

PeopleRound Lake HeightsTypical Illinois town
Median age29.540.4
Age 65 and over7.3%18.7%
Under 1833.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher18.4%21.8%
Below the poverty line14.5%9.9%
Veterans3.4%—
Born outside the U.S.22.4%—
Work from home8.4%8.9%
Average commute34.4 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband91.3%90.4%

Weather in Round Lake Heights

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 14.6°F. About 37.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 43.4 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 132 nights at or below freezing.

Round Lake Heights monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing30°15°Jan34°18°Feb45°27°Mar57°37°Apr69°48°May78°58°Jun82°63°Jul81°62°Aug73°54°Sep60°43°Oct47°31°Nov35°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.115.71.98.02.65.84.11.54.44.23.93.33.43.00.12.53.12.39.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lake Villa 2Ne station (4.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Round Lake Heights since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 8.2 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 7 deaths and 76 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 17, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Round Lake Heights by decade41950s31960s31970s21980s31990s02000s12010s42020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 71 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on May 2, 2018.

Severe weather in Lake County since 1996

Storm events in Lake County since 1996 by typeHail168Flood49Drought24High Wind40Lightning24Heavy Rain21Heavy Snow15Flash Flood47
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lake County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 15 deaths recorded.

Lake County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3435: Covid-19
May 10, 2013FloodDR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
March 17, 2011SnowstormDR-1960: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
June 24, 2008Severe StormDR-1771: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Lake County

Lake County had 329,354 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $91,042 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Round Lake Heights itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.

Largest industries in Lake CountyManufacturing52,776 jobs · $144,717Retail36,424 jobs · $55,434Health care & social assistan…32,507 jobs · $64,636Hotels & restaurants25,069 jobs · $30,025Administrative & support23,865 jobs · $70,615Wholesale trade22,920 jobs · $138,370
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lake County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Lake 5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Round Lake Heights

2 public schools with 1,244 students, about 11.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Round Lake Middle School6-878810.6
Indian Hill Elem School1-545613.8

Towns near Round Lake Heights

Round Lake Heights questions

Is Round Lake Heights, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Round Lake Heights scores better for retirees than 3% of Illinois towns and quieter than 12%. 7.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 29.5).

How much does a house cost in Round Lake Heights?

The median owner-occupied home in Round Lake Heights is valued at $216,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,986, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $1,453 a month.

What is the weather like in Round Lake Heights?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 14.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.8 inches of precipitation a year and 43.4 inches of snow.

Does Round Lake Heights get tornadoes?

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Round Lake Heights since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Round Lake Heights's Census boundary (GEOID 1766053). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.