United States › Illinois › Cary CITY
Cary Illinois · 17,932 residents (2025 est.) · 6.52 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Cary is home to 17,923 people in Illinois. 85% of homes are owner-occupied. That puts it in the top 5% of US cities for household income. That is roughly 36% ahead of the Illinois median. About 45% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Density works out to 2,751 people per square mile.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
45% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 8%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 15,531 in 2000
17,932 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
2,751 / sq mi
−8%since 2009
from 2,979 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 33.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
9K 12K 15K 18K 20K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Cary Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $113,026
−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $76,801 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $26,903 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 66.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 1.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.349 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 7.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.7%
Transportation & warehousing 2.3%
Education & health services 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$309,800
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $184,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,428
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $796 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 90.6% in 2000
15.2% rent
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.76 people
−16%since 2009
from 3.30 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 32.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 41.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 92.1%(14,311)
Hispanic / Latino 5.4%(843)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 79.2%(14,191)
Hispanic / Latino 12.9%(2,310)
from 34 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data from 40.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 94.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 29.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 74.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 77.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 88.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 43.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 4.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 91.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 98.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 91.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 85.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 7.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 34.4%(2,452)
Women 15+
Never married 26.3%(1,964)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 8.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 78.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 10.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 5.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 0.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 87.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 16.3% 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) 39.5%(297)
Gulf War (1990s) 28.4%(213)
Share of the 751 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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Frequently asked
How many people live in Cary, Illinois? Cary, Illinois has about 17,923 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cary, Illinois? The typical household in Cary, Illinois earns about $113,026 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Cary, Illinois expensive? In Cary, Illinois, the median home is worth about $309,800, and the typical rent is about $1,428 a month.
How educated are people in Cary, Illinois? About 44.7% of adults age 25 and over in Cary, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Cary, Illinois? About 4.8% of people in Cary, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Cary, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Cary, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 7,880 residents, a change of about 78 percent over that period.
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