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CITY · INCORPORATED 1837

Chicago

Illinois · 2,731,585 residents (2025 est.) · 228 sq mi
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Part of the Chicago metro area
The short version

Chicago is a city of 2,711,226 people in Illinois. Owners hold 46% of the housing stock. There are 11,904 people per square mile. 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median age is 35.8, younger than the US median of 38.9. 21% of locals were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $77,902, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 27%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Chicago

What changed most since 1990

  • White share38.2% → 32.1% (−6.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Black share38.7% → 27.4% (−11.2 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree19.5% → 44.3% (+24.9 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 394 cities and towns in the Chicago metro

  • 267th in household income$77,902
  • 124th in share with a bachelor's degree44.3%
  • 141st in home value$334,100
  • 3rd in diversity score90.9

Its weight in Cook County

Chicago's population equals 52% of Cook County's. Its number of households without a car equals 82% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
2,711,226
−6%since 2000
from 2,896,016 in 2000
2,731,585 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
11,904 / sq mi
−6%since 2000
from 12,716 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
35.8
+14%since 2000
from 31.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
228 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2.7M2.7M2.8M2.9M2.9M19902000201020202024Chicago
20242.7M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(144,044)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(141,719)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(148,396)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.8%(156,379)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.2%(196,030)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3419.6%(532,475)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.7%(397,471)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.8%(319,529)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.1%(300,518)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.2%(221,932)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844%(107,625)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(45,108)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$77,902
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,625 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$50,086
+148%since 2000
from $20,175 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.5%
+21.5 ptssince 2009
from 30.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.8%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 19.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.523
+2%since 2010
from 0.511 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services8.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Information8.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance7.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration6.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical6.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade3.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$334,100
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $144,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,440
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $616 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
46.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 43.8% in 2000
54.0% rent
Vacancy rate
9.1%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.29 people
−12%since 2009
from 2.60 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
28.5%
−13.9 ptssince 2009
from 42.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.6%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.3
−26%since 2009
from 5.8 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
55
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic31.3%(907,166)
Black36.4%(1,053,739)
Hispanic / Latino26%(753,644)
Asian4.3%(124,437)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic32.1%(870,127)
Black27.4%(743,710)
Hispanic / Latino29.7%(805,318)
Asian7.2%(196,435)
Other3.5%(95,636)
Diversity Score
91
+4%since 2009
from 88 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican21.5%(582,711)
Puerto Rican3.3%(90,606)
South American2.2%(60,560)
Central American1.4%(37,207)
Ecuadorian0.9%(24,005)
Guatemalan0.7%(18,804)
Colombian0.5%(13,964)
Cuban0.4%(10,074)
Venezuelan0.4%(9,595)
Salvadoran0.3%(7,132)
Honduran0.2%(6,619)
Peruvian0.2%(6,193)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(5,538)
Dominican0.1%(3,924)
Argentine0.1%(3,265)
Nicaraguan0.1%(2,129)
Chilean0.1%(1,944)
Panamanian0%(1,323)
Costa Rican0%(1,075)
Bolivian0%(870)
Uruguayan0%(363)
Paraguayan0%(255)
Asian origin
Chinese2.3%(62,330)
Asian Indian1.7%(47,034)
Filipino1.1%(31,082)
Korean0.5%(12,805)
Vietnamese0.3%(9,050)
Pakistani0.2%(6,647)
Japanese0.2%(4,327)
Thai0.1%(3,161)
Taiwanese0.1%(2,465)
Burmese0.1%(2,452)
Kazakh0%(1,275)
Nepalese0%(1,124)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Bangladeshi0%(1,072)
Cambodian0%(1,042)
Mongolian0%(801)
Sri Lankan0%(559)
Uzbek0%(438)
Laotian0%(430)
Malaysian0%(373)
Indonesian0%(294)
Hmong0%(129)
Mien0%(19)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(1,473)
Chamorro0%(286)
Samoan0%(247)
Tongan0%(199)
Fijian0%(153)
Ancestry
German7.5%(202,982)
Irish7.3%(197,290)
Polish4.9%(132,635)
Italian3.7%(101,116)
English3.3%(90,599)
American2%(55,543)
French1%(26,106)
Swedish0.9%(25,425)
Arab0.9%(23,899)
Russian0.9%(23,193)
Scottish0.7%(20,147)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Greek0.6%(16,726)
Norwegian0.6%(16,687)
Ukrainian0.6%(15,565)
West Indian0.6%(15,523)
Dutch0.5%(13,756)
Nigerian0.5%(13,571)
Czech0.4%(10,711)
Lithuanian0.4%(9,896)
Hungarian0.3%(8,267)
Romanian0.3%(8,229)
British0.3%(7,134)
Serbian0.3%(6,812)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(6,653)
Austrian0.2%(6,491)
Croatian0.2%(6,448)
Welsh0.2%(6,151)
Jamaican0.2%(4,985)
Danish0.2%(4,761)
Lebanese0.2%(4,745)
Iranian0.2%(4,652)
Slovak0.2%(4,491)
Ghanaian0.2%(4,421)
Ethiopian0.2%(4,391)
Haitian0.2%(4,376)
French Canadian0.2%(4,372)
Swiss0.1%(3,711)
Palestinian0.1%(3,693)
Turkish0.1%(2,932)
Brazilian0.1%(2,923)
Portuguese0.1%(2,888)
Canadian0.1%(2,765)
Finnish0.1%(2,662)
Bulgarian0.1%(2,633)
Belgian0.1%(2,411)
Armenian0.1%(2,183)
Jordanian0.1%(2,181)
Macedonian0.1%(2,016)
Iraqi0.1%(1,960)
Egyptian0.1%(1,758)
Moroccan0.1%(1,720)
Australian0.1%(1,664)
Slovene0.1%(1,658)
Latvian0%(1,215)
Syrian0%(1,188)
Israeli0%(986)
Somali0%(679)
Kenyan0%(504)
Barbadian0%(500)
Guyanese0%(246)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
44.3%
+18.9 ptssince 2000
from 25.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.2%
+15.4 ptssince 2000
from 71.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
19.0%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 10.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
33.1 min
+29%since 2000
from 25.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
44.7%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.3%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
17.7%
−8.7 ptssince 2009
from 26.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
21.0%
+17.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
5.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
26.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 25.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.0%
−4.0 ptssince 2011
from 12.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2011
from 66.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.1%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 76.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
49.2%
+13.7 ptssince 2009
from 35.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
20.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 21.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.1%
+1.4 ptssince 2012
from 10.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.8%
−9.9 ptssince 2013
from 19.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.1%
+15.6 ptssince 2017
from 73.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.9%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 90.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 85.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
64.6%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 63.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
23.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2016
from 24.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married51%(561,100)
Married39.8%(437,092)
Widowed2.3%(25,475)
Divorced6.9%(75,632)
Women 15+
Never married48.3%(569,186)
Married35.6%(419,632)
Widowed7.1%(83,882)
Divorced8.9%(105,068)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.8%
−9.9 ptssince 2013
from 19.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
53.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 53.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 10.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 13.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 25.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 61.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 35.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26.8%(16,267)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.8%(11,441)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.2%(17,772)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(3,064)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(616)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 60,766 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Chicago, decade by decade

Chicago population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
19902,783,726$63,124$186,24519.5%83.3
20002,896,016$70,361$262,86525.5%87.4
20102,695,598$67,436$387,26332.2%88.5
20202,746,388$75,264$324,34241.1%90.6
20242,711,226$77,902$334,10044.3%90.9

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Explore

Neighborhoods in Chicago

Albany ParkAndersonvilleArcher HeightsAshburnAvondaleBack of the YardsBelmont CentralBelmont GardensBelmont HeightsBeverlyBrainerdBridgeportBrighton ParkBronzevilleBucktownBudlong WoodsBuena ParkBurnsideCalumet HeightsChathamChicago LawnClearing (W)CraginDouglas ParkDunningEast BeverlyEast ChathamEast Garfield ParkEast Hyde ParkEast SideEast UkrainianEdgewaterEdgewater BeachEdison ParkEnglewoodFernwoodFifth CityFuller ParkGage ParkGalewoodGarfield RidgeGold CoastGoose IslandGraceland WestGrand CrossingGreshamHeart of ChicagoHegewischHermosaHumboldt ParkHyde ParkIda B. Wells - Darrow HomesIllinois Medical DistrictIrving ParkJefferson ParkKelvin ParkKenwoodKilbourn ParkLake CalumetLake ViewLake View EastLincoln ParkLittleLogan SquareLongwood ManorMarquette ParkMayfairMcKinley ParkMontclareMorgan ParkMount GreenwoodNear NorthNear West SideNoble SquareNorth AustinNorth CenterNorth KenwoodNorwood Park EastO'HareO'Hare International AirportOaklandOldOld Irving ParkOld Town TrianglePalmer SquarePark ManorPark WestPilsenPortage ParkPrairie ShoresRavenswoodRiver NorthRogers ParkRoscoeRoselandRosemoorScottsdaleSheffield NeighborsSouth AustinSouth ChicagoSouth LoopSouth ShoreStreetervilleThe BushThe LoopTri-TaylorUkrainianUniversity Village - Little ItalyUptownWashington HeightsWashington ParkWestWest BeverlyWest ChathamWest ChesterfieldWest ElsdonWest EnglewoodWest Garfield ParkWest Humboldt ParkWest LawnWest Loop GateWest PullmanWest Rogers ParkWest WoodlawnWicker ParkWoodlawnWrightwoodWrightwood NeighborsWrigleyvilleNeighborhoods in Chicago
Drill deeper

Places similar to Chicago

Los Angeles
Pop 3,869,089
Houston
Pop 2,397,315
Phoenix
Pop 1,665,481
San Antonio
Pop 1,548,422
Places similar to Chicago
Head to head

Compare Chicago to nearby cities

CHICAGO VS
Cicero
Income$70,842−9%
Home value$249,400−25%
Population81,858−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICAGO VS
Berwyn
Income$78,408+1%
Home value$299,800−10%
Population55,001−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICAGO VS
Oak Park
Income$110,820+42%
Home value$465,500+39%
Population52,823−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICAGO VS
Riverside
Income$153,686+97%
Home value$491,400+47%
Population8,939−100%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chicago, Illinois?

Chicago, Illinois has about 2,711,226 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chicago, Illinois?

The typical household in Chicago, Illinois earns about $77,902 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chicago, Illinois expensive?

In Chicago, Illinois, the median home is worth about $334,100, and the typical rent is about $1,440 a month.

How educated are people in Chicago, Illinois?

About 44.3% of adults age 25 and over in Chicago, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chicago, Illinois?

About 16.8% of people in Chicago, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chicago, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Chicago, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 72,500 residents, a change of about -3 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →