CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.35° N · 88.87° W · GEOID 1710936

Candlewick Lake

Boone County, Illinois · part of the Rockford, IL metro

IllinoisCandlewick Lake, ILCandlewick LakeCandlewick Lake

The short answer

Candlewick Lake is home to 5,448 people. Median household income is $86,146 a year and median rent is $1,520 a month, 21.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $172,300, about 2.0x annual median household income.

Candlewick Lake is defined by its growth. Home value growth is 5.7% a year, against 10.3% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 255 hours a year commuting, more than in 97% of places its size.

10OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Candlewick Lake scores better than 10% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 324th of 335 in Illinois.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%71
Economy 20%36
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%1
Education 10%25
Commute 10%3
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,520
11% above the median place
Median household income
$86,146
7% above the median place
Median home value
$172,300
46% below the median place
Unemployment
7.4%
51% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Candlewick Lake

  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs only about $37 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 92% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • HousingThe median home costs 2 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 94% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Candlewick Lake

Boone County gains about 0.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in2,680
Moved out2,671
Net+9

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Illinois, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IllinoisOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$67K
Leavers$70K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Boone County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
11.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.9% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Boone County report $67,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $70,000.
Income you would need
$60,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,520 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,557 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $172,300.
Getting to work
38 minutes each way on average; 13.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Jordan, MN matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
11.3%
97% above the median place
Moved from another state1
0.9%
54% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$67,459
4% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCandlewick LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year111.3%97% above
Moved from another state1County figure0.9%54% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure0.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$67,4594% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$69,9750% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent is about 29% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture.

Candlewick Lake21.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$60,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.2%
4% above the median place
Home price to income
2.0x
47% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$70,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Candlewick Lake, $1,520 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Candlewick Lake, but easier on the budget

Places that match Candlewick Lake on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Jordan, MN9413.0% vs 21.2%$22,400Compare
Minooka, IL9216.1% vs 21.2%$24,800Compare
Channahon, IL9217.2% vs 21.2%$26,900Compare
Big Lake, MN9113.3% vs 21.2%$30,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Candlewick Lake.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Candlewick Lake? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
92.7%
40% above the median place
Property tax rate1
2.1%
127% above the median place
Median home value1
$172,300
46% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureCandlewick LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,52011% above
Rent to income121.2%4% above
Property tax rate12.1%127% above
Home price to income12.0x47% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.29% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,17227% below
HUD area median income4County figure$89,40017% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,5649% above
Median home value1$172,30046% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure7.6%139% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure59.2%15% above
Homeownership192.7%40% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure45.5%10% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,55717% below
Vacant homes19.2%30% above
Median year built119941% above
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 38 min, 54% above the median place.

Mean commute1
38 min
54% above the median place
Income per person1
$27,331
32% below the median place
Median household income1
$86,146
7% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCandlewick LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$86,1467% above
Income per person1$27,33132% below
Unemployment1County figure7.4%51% above
Average annual pay6County figure$57,25513% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.3%11% below
Jobs6County figure11,31092% below
Poverty rate110.0%7% below
Mean commute138 min54% above
Works from home113.3%7% above
Commutes by transit1Metro figure0.5%46% below
04

Who lives here

Household size is 3.2, 29% above the median place.

Household size1
3.2
29% above the median place
Median age1
34.5
12% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
21.5%
33% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband89.2% −3%
High school or higher89.1% −4%
No health insurance7.5% +17%
Born abroad8.7% −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureCandlewick LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,4486311th largest
Median age134.512% below
Bachelor's or higher121.5%33% below
High school or higher189.1%4% below
Household size13.229% above
Born abroad18.7%1% below
No health insurance17.5%17% above
Homes with broadband189.2%3% below
05

Life in Candlewick Lake

The nearest National Park Service site is Pullman National Historical Park, about 79 miles away.

6 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents1.8 −82%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Pullman National Historical Park 79 miles
  • Ice Age Trail 86 miles
  • Indiana Dunes National Park 103 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.7 −29%
Shops17.8 −41%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.7 +15%
Doctors' offices and clinics10.1 −50%
Child care centers1.1 −52%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
79.0
156% above the median place
Shops per 10k8
17.8
41% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
1.1
52% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureCandlewick LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure1789% above
Public school students12County figure8,99384% above
Students per teacher12County figure13.512% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure14.729% below
Shops per 10k8County figure17.841% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.715% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure10.150% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.152% below
Parks per 10k91.882% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1079.0156% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure654% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 8.3, 86% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Candlewick Lake. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
8.3
86% below the median place
Hurricane risk14
8.8
87% below the median place
January average low13
13°F
48% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureCandlewick LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure83°F4% below
January average low13County figure13°F48% below
Average temperature13County figure48°F12% below
Annual precipitation13County figure37.4 in15% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure57.438% below
Hurricane risk14County figure8.887% below
Tornado risk14County figure77.65% below
Wildfire risk14County figure8.386% below
Heat wave risk14County figure46.848% below
Median air quality index15Metro figure407% below
Good air days15Metro figure68.7%0% above
08

Candlewick Lake in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Candlewick Lake does better than 71% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 18%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,520/mo (2024)$1,920/mo$1,580 to $2,340/mo+4.0%
Median household income$86,146 (2024)$109,000$92,000 to $128,500+4.0%
Median home value$172,300 (2024)$242,000$175,000 to $333,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 2.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Candlewick Lake

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Bridge City, TX$1,431$88,958Compare
Pleasant Run, OH$1,537$79,537Compare
Carpentersville, IL$1,414$86,917Compare
Round Lake Beach, IL$1,543$86,059Compare
Round Lake Beach, ILCarpentersville, ILPleasant Run, OHBridge City, TXCandlewick Lake, ILCandlewick LakeBridge CityPleasant RunCarpentersvilleRound Lake BeachCandlewick LakeBridge CityPleasant RunCarpentersvilleRound Lake Beach

Places built like Candlewick Lake

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Candlewick Lake performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Candlewick Lake, IL21.2%2.8%/yrn/a
Hidden Valley, IN13.7%2.5%/yrn/aCompare
Whiteland, IN20.6%5.1%/yr27.3%Compare
Minooka, IL16.1%4.4%/yr1.3%Compare
Channahon, IL17.2%5.4%/yr8.2%Compare
Manhattan, IL11.3%4.6%/yr16.6%Compare
Obetz, OH19.0%5.9%/yr33.9%Compare

Common questions

Is Candlewick Lake a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 10 out of 100, better than 10% of the places we rate and 324th of 335 in Illinois. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $37 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 92% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track. The median home costs 2 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 94% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 95 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Candlewick Lake expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $172,300.

What salary do you need to live in Candlewick Lake?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $60,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Candlewick Lake?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Bridge City, TX, Pleasant Run, OH, Carpentersville, IL and Round Lake Beach, IL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Candlewick Lake with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Candlewick Lake itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/candlewick-lake-illinois

Citytistics. “Candlewick Lake, Illinois.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/candlewick-lake-illinois/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.