United States › Illinois › Decatur CITY
Decatur Illinois · 67,884 residents (2025 est.) · 43.5 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
Decatur is a city of 69,815 people in Illinois. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $99,600. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. That trails the Illinois median by roughly 38%. 3% of residents were born outside the United States. Getting to work takes 18 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 10%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 81,860 in 2000
67,884 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,606 / sq mi
−8%since 2009
from 1,745 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 37.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
68K 73K 77K 81K 85K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Decatur Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $51,592
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,111 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $19,009 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 19.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 16.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.461 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5.6%
Public administration 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.5%
Education & health services 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food 1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$99,600
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $60,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$845
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $447 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 66.4% in 2000
37.1% rent
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.17 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.17 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 19.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 42.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.0 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 77%(62,993)
Hispanic / Latino 1.2%(978)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 64.9%(45,319)
Hispanic / Latino 3.3%(2,311)
from 50 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data Ancestry
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data from 17.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 80.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 85.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 58.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 69.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 30.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 15.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 72.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 86.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 81.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 40.5%(10,835)
Women 15+
Never married 38.8%(12,017)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 52.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 12.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 23.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 29.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 63.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 48.0% 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) 18.5%(680)
Gulf War (1990s) 12.1%(445)
Share of the 3,672 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.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Decatur Head to head
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DECATUR VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Decatur, Illinois? Decatur, Illinois has about 69,815 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Decatur, Illinois? The typical household in Decatur, Illinois earns about $51,592 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Decatur, Illinois expensive? In Decatur, Illinois, the median home is worth about $99,600, and the typical rent is about $845 a month.
How educated are people in Decatur, Illinois? About 21.6% of adults age 25 and over in Decatur, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Decatur, Illinois? About 19.4% of people in Decatur, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Decatur, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Decatur, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 14,070 residents, a change of about -17 percent over that period.
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