United States › Illinois › Kankakee CITY
Kankakee Illinois · 23,400 residents (2025 est.) · 15.1 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
Kankakee is home to 23,996 people in Illinois. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 13% of adults. The typical home is worth $104,900. Households here earn about 43% less than in Illinois as a whole. 25.5% of people here live below the federal poverty line. 51% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 20%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 27,491 in 2000
23,400 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,584 / sq mi
−10%since 2009
from 1,761 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 32.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
24K 25K 26K 27K 28K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Kankakee Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $47,514
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,469 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,479 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 21.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.434 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 6.8%
Public administration 2.5%
Transportation & warehousing 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.5%
Education & health services 0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$104,900
−20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $72,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,023
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $491 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 53.4% in 2000
49.2% rent
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.65 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 33.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 59.6% 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 47.8%(13,130)
Hispanic / Latino 9.3%(2,544)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 31.3%(7,515)
Hispanic / Latino 24.5%(5,878)
from 80 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
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data from 13.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 68.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 71.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 14.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 16.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 16.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 62.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 69.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 21.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 15.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 18.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 62.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 84.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 89.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 82.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 16.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 52.7%(5,064)
Women 15+
Never married 45.7%(4,220)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 18.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 45.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 17.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 35.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 53.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 48.1% 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) 24.2%(227)
Gulf War (1990s) 20.4%(191)
Share of the 937 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
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Kankakee, Illinois? Kankakee, Illinois has about 23,996 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Kankakee, Illinois? The typical household in Kankakee, Illinois earns about $47,514 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Kankakee, Illinois expensive? In Kankakee, Illinois, the median home is worth about $104,900, and the typical rent is about $1,023 a month.
How educated are people in Kankakee, Illinois? About 13.0% of adults age 25 and over in Kankakee, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Kankakee, Illinois? About 25.5% of people in Kankakee, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Kankakee, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Kankakee, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 3,579 residents, a change of about -13 percent over that period.
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