North Chicago is home to 30,643 people in Illinois. This skews young, with a median age of 23.2. 33% of homes are owner-occupied. 65% were living in the same home a year earlier. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. The poverty rate is 24.5%, above the 12.5% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $60,172, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 23.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 14%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about North Chicago
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share9.4% → 40.5%(+31.1 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Poverty rate14.9% → 24.5%(+9.6 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
White share52.9% → 25.1%(−27.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
North Chicago's population equals 4.3% of Lake County's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 1.2% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 8.2% 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)79.2%(2,101)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)8.3%(221)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era8.9%(237)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.2%(32)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(25)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,653 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
North Chicago, decade by decade
North Chicago 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
34,978
$61,202
$152,164
10.2%
74.8
2000
35,918
$69,551
$184,716
14.8%
85.5
2010
32,574
$64,598
$210,463
17.6%
88.3
2020
30,759
$57,224
$130,779
22.5%
90.1
2024
30,643
$60,172
$159,600
20.8%
88.9
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.
