Darien is a city of 21,879 people in Illinois. This is an unusually credentialed place: 52% of adults have a four-year degree. That puts it in the top 5% of US cities for household income. The median age is 44.4, about 5 years above the US median. Owners hold 79% of the housing stock. That is roughly 33% ahead of the Illinois median.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $111,215, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Darien
What changed most since 1990
Median household income (2024 dollars)$126,904 → $111,215(−12%)US over the same years: +14%
Median age35.4 → 44.4(+9.0 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Darien's population equals 2.4% of DuPage County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 1.5% of the county's. Its number of residents 65 and older equals 3.3% of the county's.
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)13.7%(90)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)9.4%(62)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.1%(244)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(26)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 658 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
Darien, decade by decade
Darien population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
18,341
$126,904
$381,131
35.8%
27.5
2000
22,860
$136,325
$379,997
43.5%
39.7
2010
22,086
$109,409
$477,174
46.2%
48.0
2020
22,011
$122,138
$408,215
53.9%
56.7
2024
21,879
$111,215
$398,700
52.4%
55.0
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.
