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CITY

Carol Stream

Illinois · 39,315 residents (2025 est.) · 9.12 sq mi
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The short version

Carol Stream is home to 39,460 people in Illinois. Few US cities rank higher on income. 28% of residents were born outside the United States. There are 4,325 people per square mile. Households here earn about 23% more than in Illinois as a whole. About 43% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
39,460
−2%since 2000
from 40,438 in 2000
39,315 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
4,325 / sq mi
−1%since 2009
from 4,354 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.4
+29%since 2000
from 31.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
9.12 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
31K33K36K39K41K19902000201020202024Carol Stream
202439K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.2%(2,053)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(2,023)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(2,490)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.9%(2,336)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.2%(2,845)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.8%(5,056)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.3%(5,647)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.2%(4,417)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6415%(5,920)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.8%(4,247)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.9%(1,546)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(880)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$102,309
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,893 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,625
+81%since 2000
from $25,152 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
65.3%
+18.3 ptssince 2009
from 46.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.4%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.398
+6%since 2010
from 0.377 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade16.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance9.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical8.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services7.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade4.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$335,000
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $166,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,529
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $798 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
67.3%
−3.2 ptssince 2000
from 70.5% in 2000
32.7% rent
Vacancy rate
3.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.71 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.81 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.6%
−11.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.9%
−7.4 ptssince 2009
from 46.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.3
−10%since 2009
from 3.6 in 2009
2009 – 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
42
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic73%(29,524)
Black4.2%(1,689)
Hispanic / Latino10%(4,055)
Asian11.1%(4,496)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic50.1%(19,782)
Black6.3%(2,501)
Hispanic / Latino18.5%(7,281)
Asian19.3%(7,618)
Other5.8%(2,278)
Diversity Score
84
+25%since 2009
from 67 in 2009
2009 – 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
Mexican13.2%(5,211)
South American2.8%(1,122)
Colombian1.6%(617)
Venezuelan0.8%(314)
Guatemalan0.6%(231)
Ecuadorian0.4%(153)
Cuban0.3%(113)
Spaniard0.2%(63)
Dominican0.1%(46)
Panamanian0.1%(37)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(28)
Peruvian0%(10)
Asian origin
Asian Indian10.7%(4,222)
Filipino2.8%(1,105)
Vietnamese1.6%(626)
Burmese1.3%(507)
Pakistani0.7%(264)
Chinese0.6%(248)
Laotian0.3%(128)
Korean0.3%(114)
Nepalese0.2%(94)
Cambodian0.1%(53)
Taiwanese0.1%(40)
Japanese0.1%(38)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0.1%(35)
Bhutanese0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(57)
Chamorro0%(13)
Ancestry
German12.3%(4,855)
Irish9.4%(3,728)
Polish9.1%(3,579)
Italian8.8%(3,473)
English4.5%(1,787)
American2.3%(895)
Swedish1.7%(658)
French1.7%(653)
Greek1.4%(561)
Scottish1.4%(545)
Czech1.3%(515)
Serbian1.2%(478)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
Ukrainian1%(390)
Norwegian0.9%(338)
Dutch0.8%(306)
West Indian0.6%(253)
Turkish0.6%(227)
Danish0.5%(210)
Jamaican0.5%(204)
Arab0.4%(174)
Russian0.4%(170)
Bulgarian0.4%(144)
British0.3%(131)
Iranian0.3%(121)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(111)
Austrian0.3%(102)
Welsh0.2%(92)
Syrian0.2%(87)
Swiss0.2%(76)
Lithuanian0.2%(68)
Romanian0.2%(67)
Belgian0.2%(66)
Ethiopian0.2%(64)
Hungarian0.1%(59)
Portuguese0.1%(55)
Iraqi0.1%(50)
Brazilian0.1%(45)
Haitian0.1%(43)
Macedonian0.1%(40)
Croatian0.1%(39)
Ghanaian0.1%(37)
Slovak0.1%(30)
Egyptian0.1%(28)
Latvian0.1%(26)
Finnish0.1%(22)
Slovene0%(14)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
42.8%
+10.8 ptssince 2000
from 32.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 89.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.4%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 8.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.1 min
+30%since 2000
from 21.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.7%
−13.5 ptssince 2009
from 84.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.7%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.8%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.8%
+11.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.2%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.9%
−5.1 ptssince 2011
from 9.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
68.5%
−8.1 ptssince 2011
from 76.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 79.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.0%
+2.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
44.1%
+11.5 ptssince 2009
from 32.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
50.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
28.2%
+8.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.9%
+1.9 ptssince 2012
from 8.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.5%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 10.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.3%
+4.6 ptssince 2017
from 87.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 95.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.4%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 86.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
59.1%
−10.2 ptssince 2016
from 69.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
15.2%
+4.7 ptssince 2016
from 10.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.1%(5,785)
Married55.7%(9,174)
Widowed1.2%(193)
Divorced7.9%(1,308)
Women 15+
Never married27%(4,445)
Married54.6%(8,967)
Widowed8.5%(1,396)
Divorced9.9%(1,626)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.5%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 10.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
64.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 64.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 14.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.4%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 0.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
74.6%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 76.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
28.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 27.2% 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)24.9%(251)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)11.1%(112)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.3%(356)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War10.1%(102)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,008 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Carol Stream to nearby cities

CAROL STREAM VS
Glendale Heights
Income$86,545−15%
Home value$261,700−22%
Population32,655−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CAROL STREAM VS
Winfield
Income$135,795+33%
Home value$386,300+15%
Population10,146−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CAROL STREAM VS
Bloomingdale
Income$102,928+1%
Home value$376,500+12%
Population22,476−43%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CAROL STREAM VS
Bartlett
Income$133,240+30%
Home value$375,700+12%
Population40,855+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Carol Stream, Illinois?

Carol Stream, Illinois has about 39,460 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Carol Stream, Illinois?

The typical household in Carol Stream, Illinois earns about $102,309 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Carol Stream, Illinois expensive?

In Carol Stream, Illinois, the median home is worth about $335,000, and the typical rent is about $1,529 a month.

How educated are people in Carol Stream, Illinois?

About 42.8% of adults age 25 and over in Carol Stream, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Carol Stream, Illinois?

About 6.4% of people in Carol Stream, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Carol Stream, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Carol Stream, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 7,744 residents, a change of about 24 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 →