DeKalb is home to 40,443 people in Illinois. This skews young, with a median age of 26.1. Owners hold 42% of the housing stock. Households here earn about 44% less than in Illinois as a whole. The poverty rate is 24.9%, above the 12.5% national rate. People stay put here: 74% were in the same home a year ago.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $46,481, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 26.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 11%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about DeKalb
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree39.5% → 33.7%(−5.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
White share86.6% → 56.4%(−30.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Black share4.7% → 13.8%(+9.1 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
DeKalb's population equals 40% of DeKalb County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 67% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 64% 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)40.5%(554)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.6%(282)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era18.5%(253)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(54)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(19)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,369 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
DeKalb, decade by decade
DeKalb 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
34,925
$60,931
$188,885
39.5%
30.5
2000
39,018
$64,037
$230,257
38.0%
51.3
2010
43,862
$57,871
$260,237
35.0%
61.4
2020
40,290
$53,600
$200,592
38.0%
78.5
2024
40,443
$46,481
$204,700
33.7%
77.3
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.
