Evan Lysacek was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Naperville, Illinois. His mother, Tanya (née Santoro), is a substitute teacher in Naperville, and his father, Don, is a building contractor. He has an older sister, Laura, and a younger sister, Christina, who played on a nationally ranked volleyball team. His cousin Cole Chason is a former punter for the Clemson Tigers. Lysacek went to Tate Woods Elementary School in Lisle, IL, then Spring Brook Elementary and then to Gregory Middle School. Lysacek graduated from Neuqua Valley High School in 2003. During high school, Lysacek was a member of the honor roll, where he earned a number of academic achievement awards, including the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence in 1999.