CITY · INCORPORATED 1837 · 2000 CENSUS

Chicago

Illinois · 2,896,016 residents · 228 sq mi

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With 2,896,016 people, Chicago is a city in Illinois. Owners hold 44% of the housing stock. The median age is 31.5, younger than the US median of 35.2. The average commute runs 26 minutes. 19.6% of locals live below the federal poverty line. Households here earn about 17% less than in Illinois as a whole.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $42,589

Younger

median age 31.5

US median: 35.2

Average education

25% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 24%

Less affordable

home values up 41%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $120,530

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

2,896,016

+4%since 1990

from 2,783,726 in 1990

1990 – 2025

Median age

31.5

Unchangedsince 1990

from 31.5 in 1990

US average: 35.2

Land area

228 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

20242.7M

Age distribution, 2000

Under 57.5%(218,522)

US avg: 6.8%

5 to 97.7%(224,012)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.9%(200,802)

US avg: 7.3%

15 to 196.9%(200,962)

US avg: 7.2%

20 to 248.3%(239,252)

US avg: 6.7%

25 to 3418.4%(533,199)

US avg: 14.2%

35 to 4415%(433,268)

US avg: 16%

45 to 5411.4%(330,507)

US avg: 13.4%

55 to 647.5%(216,689)

US avg: 8.6%

65 to 745.5%(159,915)

US avg: 6.5%

75 to 843.6%(103,720)

US avg: 4.4%

85 and over1.2%(35,168)

US avg: 1.5%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$38,625

+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $26,301 in 1990

US average: $42,589

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$20,175

+56%since 1990

from $12,899 in 1990

US average: $21,522

Poverty rate

19.6%

−2.0 ptssince 1990

from 21.6% in 1990

US average: 12.4%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$144,300

+41%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $77,600 in 1990

US average: $120,530

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$616

+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $445 in 1990

US average: $602

Owner-occupied

43.8%

+2.3 ptssince 1990

from 41.5% in 1990

56.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990

White, non-Hispanic45.5%(1,265,953)

Black39%(1,086,389)

Hispanic / Latino19.2%(535,315)

Asian3.7%(104,141)

2000

White, non-Hispanic31.3%(907,166)

Black36.4%(1,053,739)

Hispanic / Latino26%(753,644)

Asian4.3%(124,437)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)

Singaporean0%(140)

Hmong0%(129)

Mien0%(19)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.1%(1,473)

Chamorro0%(286)

Samoan0%(247)

Tongan0%(199)

Fijian0%(153)

Guamanian0%(6)

Marshallese0%(6)

Ancestry

German7.5%(202,982)

Irish7.3%(197,290)

Polish4.9%(132,635)

Italian3.7%(101,116)

English3.3%(90,599)

American2%(55,543)

Subsaharan African2%(54,005)

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)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(789)

Somali0%(679)

Kenyan0%(504)

Barbadian0%(500)

Guyanese0%(246)

Cape Verdean0%(131)

RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Polish population · Largest Italian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

25.5%

+6.0 ptssince 1990

from 19.5% in 1990

US average: 24.4%

High school or higher

71.8%

+5.8 ptssince 1990

from 66.0% in 1990

US average: 80.3%

Graduate degree

10.0%

+2.5 ptssince 1990

from 7.5% in 1990

US average: 8.8%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

25.6 min

−11%since 1990

from 28.9 min in 1990

US average: 17.6

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status

Men 15+

Never married44%(473,738)

Married45.7%(491,733)

Widowed2.8%(29,715)

Divorced7.5%(81,190)

Women 15+

Never married38%(447,784)

Married41.2%(485,054)

Widowed10.8%(127,670)

Divorced9.9%(117,028)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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

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