Chart Our Future City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Master Plan | Page 52

Demographics
The demographics review utilized the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
Business Analyst Online (BAO) software to gather up-to-date demographic data necessary
to gain an understanding of the City and its context.
Summary
According to 2017 estimates, the City of Lake Forest has
a population of 19,270, however, the City conducted a
population count in 2017 that determined the population
to be 19,375. The Department is using the City determined
population and all other estimates were generated by
ESRI. Census population numbers from 2010 indicate the
population is growing at an annual rate of 0.11% and is
expected to continue growing into 2022. The City’s growth
is similar to the state growth rate (0.17%) but is far below
the national rate (0.83%).
There are an estimated 6,867 households within the City.
According to the U.S. Census, a household “includes all
the persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual
place of residence.” Out of these households, 76.2% (5,230)
are families. A family is defined as a household in which
one or more people are related to the householder by
birth, marriage or adoption. The average household size
in Lake Forest is 2.65 people. This is expected to remain
consistent.
Age Distribution
The median age of Lake Forest residents is 47.4 and the
population is slowly aging in place. According to 2017
estimates, 20.6% of the population is over the age of 55.
This is projected to increase to 23.6% of the population
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by 2022, entirely due to growth in the 65+ age group. The
increase in active adult and senior population growth
mirrors that of the state and national trends and these
populations are and will continue to be a major City
demographic. The young adult and adult age groups
(ages 25-44) are also projected to increase in the next five
years.
Conversely, ESRI anticipates that all age groups under
20 have decreased in population and will likely continue
to do so. This trend has also been observed by the Lake
Forest School District 67 enrollment projections.
2022
19,270
2017
*ESRI projected the 2017 population at 19,270 but the City
of Lake Forest has a recorded population of 19,375. Other
sources estimate the City of Lake Forest’s population as:
- 19, 612 (U.S. Census QuickFacts
- 18,881 (U.S. Census Reporter
All demographics besides total population were generated
using 2017 ESRI projections based on the decennial U.S.
Census and annual studies.
Race and Ethnicity
According to ESRI, Lake Forest has a diversity index of 17.4.
The Diversity Index captures the racial and ethnic diversity
of a geographic area in a single number, 0 to 100, and
allows for efficient analysis of diversity throughout the
U.S. The Diversity Index is “the likelihood that two persons,
selected at random from the same area, would belong to a
different race or ethnic group.” According to demographic
estimates, 90.3% of City residents indicate their race as
White, which results in a low diversity index. The largest
minority group within the City are Asian Americans, with
5.8% of the population reporting their race as “Asian
Alone.” Additionally, 3.5% of the population identifies as
Hispanic in addition to the race they reported as.
CITY OF LAKE FOREST PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
CHAPTER 3