Normal is home to 53,569 people in Illinois. This skews young, with a median age of 25.0. This is an unusually credentialed place: 53% of adults have a four-year degree. 75% were living in the same home a year earlier. 55% of homes are owner-occupied. Density works out to 2,903 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $64,785, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 25.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
53% 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 Normal
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$175,685 → $213,600(+22%)US over the same years: +67%
Black share4.9% → 10.8%(+5.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Median household income (2024 dollars)$75,305 → $64,785(−14%)US over the same years: +14%
Normal's population equals 31% of McLean County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 52% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 21% 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)24.5%(364)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.1%(239)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.7%(560)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0.9%(13)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(8)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,487 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
Normal, decade by decade
Normal 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
40,023
$75,305
$175,685
40.4%
19.2
2000
45,386
$73,557
$211,676
42.4%
31.2
2010
52,497
$72,366
$223,266
45.4%
38.7
2020
52,736
$70,760
$205,198
51.2%
55.8
2024
53,569
$64,785
$213,600
52.9%
51.5
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.
