Last Updated on: 2nd November 2023, 12:21 pm
Have you visited the popular tourist attraction of Gurnee IL and fallen in love? Before moving to Gurnee, IL, here is a complete guide to what it’s like Living here!
Gurnee is a village in Lake County, IL and is a part of the Chicago Metro. Gurnee Illinois is known for its thrilling amusement parks Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, and its popular shopping mall Gurnee Mill, and sees over 23 million visitors yearly. These attractions make for a great economy and provide many job opportunities—hence, their motto; Community of Opportunity.
Gurnee was incorporated as a village of Lake County on May 8, 1928 and has been growing ever since.
With great schools and safe neighborhoods, Gurnee is a family-friendly place to live. The many parks, activities, shopping centers, and new-construction homes, make The village of Gurnee a good place to live!
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Where is Gurnee IL?
Gurnee Village is a part of Lake County and the Chicago Metro. This Chicago suburb borders Waukegan. While it has many great attributes, its proximity to the surrounding amenities is one of its best. For example, Gurnee is a short 44 mile drive to Chicago, and an even shorter 9.6 mile drive to Illinois Beach, on Lake Michigan. One of Gurnee’s main attributes is its location—its proximity to bigger cities makes for a stellar place to call home.
Gurnee has a great public transportation system. The Metra trains and Pace fixed-route buses of Lake County service Gurnee, IL. Lake County has 32 train stations and 21 fixed-route bus routes.
Gurnee, IL Population and Demographics
Gurnee has a population of 30,706 residents with a population density of 2,274 people per square mile. It is the 5th largest city compared to Lake Counties 50 cities. However, Gurnne has seen a slight population decline of -0.19%.
The population is 52% female and 48% male with a median age of 39.2. 59.2% are white, 13.9% Hispanic/Latino, 12.8% Asian, 7.8% Black, 4.8% two or more, and 1% American Indian; 15.4% are foreign-born citizens.
The median household income is $100,892, which is slightly higher than Chicago’s median income of $62,097. 95.9% of Gurnee’s residents have a high school diploma or higher and 55.4% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
According to Wikipedia, notable people of Gurnee include Kevin Anderson, actor Robbie Gould, football player, Tommie Harris, football player and Tank Johnson, football player.
Is Gurnee, IL safe? According to the FBI, the crime rate of Gurnee is 393 out of 100,000 residents, which is 80.2% lower than Illinois and 83.2% lower than the US—making Gurnee a safe place to live! You can thank the safe streets of Gurnee for its dedicated law enforcement officers; Gurnee’s police department has 62 well-trained officers to keep Gurnee protected.
Cost of Living in Gurnee, IL
Not sure if you can afford living in this Village? Gurnee has a cost of living index of 97.4 compared to the national average.Gurnee is a less expensive area compared to the national average and is also a more affordable option than Chicago, which has a cost of living index of 107.4.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, for a family of four to live comfortably in the Chicago Metro Area, the household should earn $92,894 a year.
Typical Chicago Metro living expenses:
- Restaurant meal: $20
- Domestic beer: $5.50
- Gallon of milk: $3.15
- Eggs: $2.89
- Loaf of bread: $2.75
- Average utilities per month: $366
The median Gurnee home price is $312,000, which is 2.9% higher compared to 2021, putting the price per square foot $152; 3.8% lower than last year.
There are a number of homes for sale in Gurnee, IL. While Gurnee offers many styles, their most popular home is ranch style, which is a single-family home, with an open concept lay-out and a front-porch space.
Like most suburbs, Gurnee has a competitive housing market which makes buying a great investment. However, if you’re not ready to buy, renting is always a great choice. According to RentCafe, the average Gurnee rental costs $1,655 per month (for an 876 square foot apartment) compared to Chicago’s $2,206 (for a 750 square foot apartment). There are plenty of apartments in Gurnee to choose from; start browsing on your go-to realtor sites today!
Gurnee, IL Neighborhoods | Where to Live in Gurnee
Moving to Gurnee or looking for a new neighborhood?? Here we’ve included some of the best neighborhoods in Gurnee.
Aberdare Estate
Aberdare Estate is a tight-knit community of 64 homes. It’s best known for its vintage feel, thanks to the homes old brick design.
The Pines — Affordable Neighborhood Homes
The pines has single-family homes, townhomes, and condos. The median sale price is $276,000 with a $196 monthly HOA fee. The homes were built between 1988 and 1992, making them relatively new construction.
Ridgemont—Family Friendly Gurnee Neighborhood
Ridgemonts proximity to Six Flags Great America and its well-renowned school district makes it one of the best neighborhoods for kids.
Midlane—Golf Community Neighborhood
Gurnee residents often partake in is golfing. Midlane Country Club offers magnificent views with top-tier service. Midlane is affordable,with a median sale price of $218,000. Some lot sizes are even as big as one acre— a rarity in the Chicago Metro.
Gurnee Weather and Climate
Illinois is known as a cold state, and Gurnee is no exception. With a Koppen Classification of humid continental climate (Dfa), the Gurnee summers are warm, but the winters are freezing with lots of snow. Temperature will vary from 16 degrees fahrenheit and 82 degrees fahrenheit. The temps will occasionally dip below 0 and go above 90 degrees, but that’s a rare occasion.
The best time to visit Gurnee and its famous American amusement parks is summer (Late June) or the fall (Mid September).
June is Gurnee’s rainiest month, with an average of 3.6 inches of rainfall. In contrast, January is the driest month, with only 0.7 inches. Gurnee’s snow season lasts over four months, seeing the most snow in January, with an average of 4.5 inches.
Things to Do in Gurnee, IL
There are tons of fun things to do in Gurnee, IL. From famous amusement parks, to shopping centers like Stonebrook Commons and Gurnee Town Center and , and water parks, Gurnee is made for families!
Gurnee Mills
Gurnee Mills is a popular mall located in Gurnee. It’s considered a tourist destination of the Chicago Metro area. Gurnee Mills Mall is over 1,936,000 square feet with over 200 stores. You can locate a map of Gurnee Mills and their many stores on their website. Their hours of operation are Monday-Thursday, 10:00am to 8:00pm, Friday-Saturday 10:00am to 9:00pm, and Sunday 11:00am to 7:00pm.
6170 W Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031, (847) 263-7500
Six Flags Great America
A main tourist attraction located in Gurnee, is Six Flags Great America (or Six Flags Chicago). People travel far and wide to catch the thrill of the Six Flag Rides. General admission for one day is $67.99, but if you’re living in Gurnee, IL, you may want to consider annual passes.
Hurricane Harbor Chicago
Looking for family friendly things to do in Gurnee, IL? Located right next to Six Flags Chicago, Hurricane Harbor is a 20-acre water park. Hurricane Harbor is complete with 25 water slides, with varying height requirements, giving everyone a chance to have some fun. Here are the best times to visit and hours of operation.
1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee, IL 60031, (847) 249-1776
Great Wolf Lodge Gurnee
Great Wolf Lodge is equipped with the best indoor water park in Illinois. Indoor water part means fun all year long! Great Wolf doesn’t have just a water park, they can also house you and your family in one of their many hotel rooms.
If you do decide to stay at this resort, remember check-in is at 4:00 or once a room becomes available, and the water park opens at 9:00 am.
1700 Nations Dr, Gurnee, IL 60031, (847) 623-9653
Betty Russell Community Park
Amusement parks aren’t your thing? No worries, Gurnee has tons more to offer. Check out Betty Russell Community Park for some family run activities. There’s a skate park, playground, soccer and baseball fields, and a seasonal ice rink.
5300 Pinewood Rd, Gurnee, IL 60031, (847) 623-7788
Additional Attractions in Gurnee
Gurnee has a great Parks and Recreation Department that keeps their parks clean and safe. Explore the special events calendar.
Restaurants in Gurnee IL
Primo Italian American Cuisine
Everybody loves pizza; get your fix of Italian American Cuisine at Primo’s Restaurant in Gurnee, IL.
720 Milwaukee Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031, (847) 378-0154
Jalisco Restaurant
Take a step into Mexico at Jalisco, this family-owned Gurnee, Mexican restaurant.
4949 Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031, (224) 637-8616
Stevens’
Stevens is a Gurnee staple; this steakhouse is home to some of the best steaks in the Gurnee area. Enjoy your delectable steak with a martini or white wine!
401 N Riverside Dr, Gurnee, IL 60031, (847) 599-8533
Gurnee, IL Jobs
Thanks to Gurnee’s many tourist attractions and amusement parks, its economy is doing great. While there was a slight dip during covid, it’s finally getting back to normal. Gurnee has an average salary of $69,000 and a 1.6% increase in wages since 2021.
The largest employers in Gurnee are Domino Amjet, inc, Dynapar, Keylime Cove Waterpark Resort. With Gurnee IL being close to major cities like Chicago and having a prosperous economy themselves, there are plenty of job openings in Gurnee, IL.
Explore Gurnee’s city job board.
Gurnee, IL Schools
Gurnee is served by the District 56 school district and offers four different schools for its residents. Spaulding School, Prairie Trail School, Viking School, and River Trail School are all good schools for any child to attend. For example, Prairie Trail School offers numerous extra curricular activities that are crucial to a child’s social development. Consider enrolling your little one in the Civics Club or American Girls Club at Prairie Trail School!
Gurnee, IL Statistics and Information
County: Lake County
Gurnee Area: 13.58 mi²
Gurnee Zip Code: 60031, 60048
City Area Code: 847
City Elevation: 709’
City Time Zone: Central Standard Time (CST)
Closest Airport to Gurnee: Chicago O’Hare (ORD) Airport, is a 31 minute drive from Gurnee
Map of Gurnee, IL
Explore other things to do in Gurnee!
Whether you have a family to raise or are seeking a change of pace from the busy city life, Gurnee is a great place to live. If you’ve decided Gurnee is for you, give the best Gurnee Movers, Federal Companies a call at 800-747-4100 for your moving needs!
