Census tract · Lake County
Census Tract 8601.04, Lake County, Illinois
Census Tract 8601.04, GEOID 17097860104, in Lake County, Illinois, mostly within Benton Township, Lake County (83% of its census blocks). 3,171 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±434); the 2020 Census counted 3,452.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,171
±434 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,452
Median household income
$76,926
±$27,851 (90% margin)
Lake County: $110,416
Median home value
$196,900
±$24,637 (90% margin)
Lake County: $345,700
Median gross rent
$1,299
±$168 (90% margin)
Lake County: $1,477
Where is Census Tract 8601.04?
Census Tract 8601.04 is one of 160 census tracts in Lake County, Illinois. It covers 4.55 square miles of land, 758 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 17097860104, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Benton Township, Lake County | 83% |
| Winthrop Harbor | 64% |
| Zion | 14% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 8601.04: Tract 8601.03 ($95,625), Tract 8601.05 ($78,397), Tract 8602 ($70,932), Tract 8603.01 ($53,194) and Tract 8603.02 ($47,938). 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 8601.04?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 8601.04's population at 3,171 (±434) in 1,446 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,452 residents and 1,480 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 8601.04 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,171±434 | 18,857 |
| Households | 1,446±178 | 7,821 |
| Average household size | 2.19±0.31 | 2.41 |
| Housing units | 1,504±193 | 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 8601.04?
The median resident of Census Tract 8601.04 is 51.6 years old; 17.9% are under 18 and 17.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 73.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 20.0%.
| Measure | Tract 8601.04 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.6±10.8 | 47.3 |
| Under 18 years | 17.9%±7.6 pts | 18.2% |
| 65 years and over | 17.0%±4.6 pts | 20.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 20.0%±12.3 pts | 34.2% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 73.5%±11.4 pts | 50.9% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 5.1%±5.9 pts | 8.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3%±1.9 pts | 2.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 8.4%±6.3 pts | 15.3% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.0%±7.2 pts | 29.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.6%±5.5 pts | 8.1% |
| With a disability | 14.2%±6.1 pts | 12.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.3%±2.9 pts | 7.0% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.7%±2.1 pts | 87.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.3%±6.1 pts | 20.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.4%±3.1 pts | 9.0% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.1%±5.2 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 8601.04 earn?
Half of the 1,446 households in Census Tract 8601.04 earn less than $76,926 a year (±$27,851), against $110,416 across Lake County: 122nd highest of the county's 155 tracts with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Tract 8601.04 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,926±$27,851 | $82,995 |
| Mean household income | $89,142±$12,857 | $95,286 |
| Per capita income | $40,821±$7,199 | $39,765 |
| People below the poverty line | 9.1%±7.8 pts | 8.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.9%±13.9 pts | 8.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.9%±8.3 pts | 11.3% |
| Households with a computer | 96.9%±2.2 pts | 97.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.5%±3.6 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 8601.04?
Owners occupy 78.2% of Census Tract 8601.04's occupied homes and renters 21.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $196,900 by its owner (±$24,637). The median renter pays $1,299 a month including utilities, and 44.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 8601.04 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $196,900±$24,637 | $249,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,299±$168 | $1,332 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.6%±24.9 pts | 27.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,685±$148 | $2,013 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.2%±7.1 pts | 82.7% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.8%±7.1 pts | 17.3% |
| Housing units | 1,504±193 | 8,072 |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.8%±6.3 pts | 75.4% |
| Mobile homes | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 8.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.2%±1.6 pts | 1.9% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.4%±2.3 pts | 5.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.7%±4.9 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 8601.04 get to work?
71.9% of Census Tract 8601.04's workers drive alone and 12.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.0 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 8601.04 | Benton Township, Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.6%±7.0 pts | 62.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6%±5.4 pts | 8.9% |
| Drove alone to work | 71.9%±8.7 pts | 74.4% |
| Carpooled | 15.4%±8.7 pts | 11.9% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 2.0% |
| Walked | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 12.8%±6.6 pts | 10.6% |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.0 min±6.7 | 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 8601.04 compare with the other tracts in Lake County?
Among Lake County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 8601.04 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Lake County |
|---|---|
| Population | 124th of 159 |
| Residents per square mile | 144th of 159 |
| Median household income | 122nd of 155 |
| Per capita income | 112th of 159 |
| Median home value | 127th of 154 |
| Median gross rent | 101st of 138 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 132nd of 154 |
| Median age | 12th of 159 |
| Owner-occupied share | 80th of 155 |
The tracts next to it on Lake County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8632.01 | 119th | $79,018±$30,538 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8601.05 | 120th | $78,397±$18,174 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8618.03 | 121st | $77,894±$12,776 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8601.04 | 122nd | $76,926±$27,851 |
| Tract 8614.04 | 123rd | $76,667±$8,656 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8626.04 | 124th | $76,078±$12,474 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8612.01 | 125th | $75,938±$31,791 · 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 8601.04?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 8601.04 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