Chicago, IL

Census Place

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2024 Population

2.71M

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

35.8

0.28% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

16.8%

0.017% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$77,902

3.68% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$334,100

6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

1.4M

0.959% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Chicago, IL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

89.1% of the residents in Chicago, IL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Chicago, IL are University of Illinois Chicago (8,866 degrees awarded in 2024), University of Chicago (7,789 degrees), and DePaul University (5,875 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Chicago, IL was $334,100, and the homeownership rate was 46%.

Most people in Chicago, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Chicago, IL was 1 car per household.

Photo by Sergey Gabdurakhmanov

United States Illinois Cook County, IL DuPage County, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Population & Diversity

Chicago, IL is home to a population of 2.71M people, from which 89.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 20.8% of Chicago, IL residents were born outside of the country (563k people).

In 2024, there were 1.17 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (870k people) in Chicago, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 744k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 362k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

89.1%

2024 Citizenship

89.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 89.1% of Chicago, IL residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Chicago, IL was 89.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Chicago, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chicago, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
870k ± 5.56k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
744k ± 6.05k
Other (Hispanic)
362k ± 8.61k

29.7%

Hispanic Population

805k people

29.7% of the people in Chicago, IL are hispanic (805k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Chicago, IL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Illinois.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
637,284 ± 19,101 people
India
166,788 ± 9,961 people
Poland
117,148 ± 8,364 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 637,284 Illinois residents, followed by India with 166,788 and Poland with 117,148.

Foreign-Born Population

20.8%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

563k people

20.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

557k people

As of 2024, 20.8% of Chicago, IL residents (563k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chicago, IL was 20.6%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Chicago, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
17,525 ± 1,093
Gulf War (2001-)
16,267 ± 1,246
Gulf War (1990s)
7,830 ± 656

Chicago, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.08 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Chicago, IL.

Health

90.2% of the population of Chicago, IL has health coverage, with 49.2% on employee plans, 22.2% on Medicaid, 9.71% on Medicare, 8.56% on non-group plans, and 0.577% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Illinois see 1,264 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,264 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1189 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 297 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.7% under 18 years, 28.1% between 18 and 34 years, 37.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.75%

Uninsured

49.2%

Employer Coverage

22.2%

Medicaid

9.71%

Medicare

8.56%

Non-Group

0.577%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chicago, IL declined by 0.668% from 9.82% to 9.75%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Chicago, IL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Chicago, IL employs 1.4M people. In 2024, the largest industries in Chicago, IL were Health Care & Social Assistance (190,894 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (187,681 people), and Educational Services (146,269 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($102,757), Utilities ($101,578), and Finance & Insurance ($98,848).

Employment

Occupations

1.4M

2024 Value

± 11,424

0.959%

1 Year growth

± 1.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chicago, IL grew at a rate of 0.959%, from 1.38M employees to 1.4M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chicago, IL, are Management Occupations (172,182 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (130,507 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (127,081 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chicago, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.4M

2024 Value

± 11,424

0.959%

1 Year growth

± 1.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chicago, IL grew at a rate of 0.959%, from 1.38M employees to 1.4M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chicago, IL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (190,894 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (187,681 people), and Educational Services (146,269 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chicago, IL, though some of these residents may live in Chicago, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,957

Median earning men ± $574

$50,781

Median earning women ± $603

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($103,416), Public Administration ($94,451), and Information ($87,494).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($79,578), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,933), and Public Administration ($73,442).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Y-Axis

2.47%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Illinois.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Chicago, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.5%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.43%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Illinois for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Dick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Tammy Duckworth

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Chicago, IL awarded 52,587 degrees. The student population of Chicago, IL in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 79,635 male students and 114,510 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Chicago, IL are White (17,921 and 39.3%), Hispanic or Latino (12,324 and 27%), Black or African American (6,584 and 14.4%), and Asian (5,513 and 12.1%).

The largest universities in Chicago, IL by number of degrees awarded are University of Illinois Chicago (8,866 and 16.9%), University of Chicago (7,789 and 14.8%), and DePaul University (5,875 and 11.2%).

The most popular majors in Chicago, IL are Liberal Arts & Sciences (2,776 and 5.28%), Management Science (1,921 and 3.65%), and Computer Science (1,706 and 3.24%).

The median tuition costs are $30,456 for private four year colleges, and $10,343 and $20,686 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Chicago, IL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 61.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 194,145 (41% men and 59% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 194,145 students enrolled in Chicago, IL, 41% men and 59% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 57,925 records, of which 61% were women and 39% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
1,168 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
1,024 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
903 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Chicago, IL was General Psychology with 1,168 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Chicago, IL according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Illinois Chicago
8,866 degrees awarded
University of Chicago
7,789 degrees awarded
DePaul University
5,875 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Illinois Chicago with 8,866 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 21,161 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Chicago, IL, which is 0.673 times less than the 31,426 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 17,921 degrees mean that there were 1.45 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 12,324 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($30,456) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,160) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,400) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chicago, IL was $334,100 in 2024, which is 1 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $315,200 to $334,100, a 6% increase. The homeownership rate in Chicago, IL is 46%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Chicago, IL have an average commute time of 33.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chicago, IL is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$334,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$2,424

$534,012

Median Property Taxes

±$6,042

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Chicago, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Chicago, IL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

46%

Homeownership

2024

63%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 46% of the housing units in Chicago, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 45.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chicago, IL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$77,902

Median Household Income

± $907

1.16M

Number of Households

± 10,202

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.16M households in Chicago, IL grew to $77,902 from the previous year's value of $75,134.

The following chart displays the households in Chicago, IL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Chicago, IL is from Illinois.

0.471

2024 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.474

2023 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2024, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.471 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.55% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Illinois across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (44.7%)
Worked At Home (21%)
Public Transit (17.7%)

In 2024, 44.7% of workers in Chicago, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (21%) and those who used public transit to get to work (17.7%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

33.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chicago, IL have a longer commute time (33.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.11% of the workforce in Chicago, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Chicago, IL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chicago, IL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chicago, IL have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chicago, IL (447k out of 2.66M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chicago, IL is Black, followed by Hispanic and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.