Census tract · Lake County
Census Tract 8601.03, Lake County, Illinois
Census Tract 8601.03, GEOID 17097860103, in Lake County, Illinois, entirely within Benton Township, Lake County. 3,270 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±460); the 2020 Census counted 3,376.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,270
±460 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,376
Median household income
$95,625
±$9,389 (90% margin)
Lake County: $110,416
Median home value
$274,300
±$40,217 (90% margin)
Lake County: $345,700
Median gross rent
$1,725
±$365 (90% margin)
Lake County: $1,477
Where is Census Tract 8601.03?
Census Tract 8601.03 is one of 160 census tracts in Lake County, Illinois. It covers 1.79 square miles of land, 1,889 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 17097860103, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Benton Township, Lake County | 100% |
| Winthrop Harbor | 95% |
2 census tracts border Census Tract 8601.03: Tract 8601.04 ($76,926) and Tract 8601.05 ($78,397). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 8601.03?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 8601.03's population at 3,270 (±460) in 1,391 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,376 residents and 1,377 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 8601.03 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,270±460 | 18,857 |
| Households | 1,391±206 | 7,821 |
| Average household size | 2.33±0.18 | 2.41 |
| Housing units | 1,447±196 | 8,072 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 8601.03?
The median resident of Census Tract 8601.03 is 54.2 years old; 14.3% are under 18 and 28.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 71.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 15.1%. 4.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 8601.03 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.2±7.8 | 47.3 |
| Under 18 years | 14.3%±3.0 pts | 18.2% |
| 65 years and over | 28.3%±8.0 pts | 20.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 15.1%±6.0 pts | 34.2% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 71.6%±7.2 pts | 50.9% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 6.0%±4.0 pts | 8.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.5%±3.7 pts | 2.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.8%±2.1 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.0%±2.6 pts | 15.3% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.9%±4.2 pts | 29.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.5%±5.1 pts | 8.1% |
| With a disability | 9.7%±3.5 pts | 12.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.5%±2.0 pts | 7.0% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.8%±2.6 pts | 87.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 28.6%±7.5 pts | 20.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 12.2%±4.6 pts | 9.0% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.1%±3.5 pts | 91.4% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 8601.03 earn?
Half of the 1,391 households in Census Tract 8601.03 earn less than $95,625 a year (±$9,389), against $110,416 across Lake County: 102nd highest of the county's 155 tracts with a reliable estimate. 3.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 8601.03 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,625±$9,389 | $82,995 |
| Mean household income | $122,587±$22,812 | $95,286 |
| Per capita income | $51,396±$9,573 | $39,765 |
| People below the poverty line | 3.1%±1.8 pts | 8.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±7.7 pts | 8.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.6%±3.7 pts | 11.3% |
| Households with a computer | 97.1%±2.4 pts | 97.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.8%±2.9 pts | 95.1% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 8601.03?
Owners occupy 92.2% of Census Tract 8601.03's occupied homes and renters 7.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $274,300 by its owner (±$40,217). The median renter pays $1,725 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 8601.03 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $274,300±$40,217 | $249,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,725±$365 | $1,332 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.6%±26.0 pts | 27.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,234±$148 | $2,013 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 92.2%±5.4 pts | 82.7% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 7.8%±5.4 pts | 17.3% |
| Housing units | 1,447±196 | 8,072 |
| Single-family detached homes | 95.2%±3.1 pts | 75.4% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.6 pts | 8.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.6 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.5%±2.2 pts | 1.9% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.1%±2.9 pts | 5.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.4%±2.6 pts | 4.1% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 8601.03 get to work?
79.4% of Census Tract 8601.03's workers drive alone and 11.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 15.2%.
| Measure | Tract 8601.03 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.6%±9.1 pts | 62.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 15.2%±9.4 pts | 8.9% |
| Drove alone to work | 79.4%±8.8 pts | 74.4% |
| Carpooled | 6.3%±6.2 pts | 11.9% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 2.0% |
| Walked | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 11.0%±5.0 pts | 10.6% |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.8 min±4.2 | 28.9 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 8601.03 compare with the other tracts in Lake County?
Among Lake County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 8601.03 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Lake County |
|---|---|
| Population | 119th of 159 |
| Residents per square mile | 96th of 159 |
| Median household income | 102nd of 155 |
| Per capita income | 82nd of 159 |
| Median home value | 93rd of 154 |
| Median gross rent | 59th of 138 |
| Poverty rate | 73rd of 84 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 108th of 154 |
| Median age | 5th of 159 |
| Owner-occupied share | 36th of 155 |
The tracts next to it on Lake County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8639.02 | 99th | $97,321±$14,208 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8617.01 | 100th | $97,056±$31,411 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8608.06 | 101st | $96,735±$13,012 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8601.03 | 102nd | $95,625±$9,389 |
| Tract 8601.06 | 103rd | $94,917±$26,777 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8637.02 | 104th | $93,542±$12,730 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8611.05 | 105th | $92,813±$20,858 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 8601.03?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 8601.03 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections