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CITY

Oswego

Illinois · 39,948 residents (2025 est.) · 15.2 sq mi
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Part of the Chicago metro area
The short version

With 36,375 people, Oswego is a city in Illinois. Since 2000 the city has more than doubled, up 23,049 people. Owners hold 88% of the housing stock. Households here earn about 48% more than in Illinois as a whole. Few US cities rank higher on income. Households take in $123,792 a year at the median, 50% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

36,375
+173%since 2000
from 13,326 in 2000
39,948 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
2,393 / sq mi
+39%since 2009
from 1,716 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
38.7
+18%since 2000
from 32.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
15.2 sq mi
Population, 19902024
62610K20K30K40K19902000201020202024Oswego
202436K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.6%(1,688)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 98.2%(2,977)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.9%(2,861)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 199.1%(3,324)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.2%(2,273)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.1%(3,316)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4416%(5,830)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5415.5%(5,640)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.3%(4,482)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 746.7%(2,428)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.5%(1,257)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over0.8%(299)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$123,792
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $71,502 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
$47,866
+76%since 2000
from $27,204 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
73.0%
+10.4 ptssince 2009
from 62.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
2.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 2.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
0.343
+7%since 2010
from 0.320 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services7.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration6.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing4.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services2.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$344,500
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $170,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
$1,860
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $737 in 2000
US average: $1,442
87.9%
−4.4 ptssince 2000
from 92.3% in 2000
12.1% rent
1.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.96 people
−9%since 2009
from 3.26 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
21.1%
−14.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
68.5%
+24.6 ptssince 2009
from 43.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
2.8
−11%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
28
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.6%(12,079)
Black1.8%(236)
Hispanic / Latino5%(665)
Asian1.4%(183)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic62.4%(22,713)
Black10.1%(3,689)
Hispanic / Latino17.9%(6,507)
Asian4.4%(1,612)
Other5.1%(1,854)
70
+46%since 2009
from 48 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican15%(5,474)
Peruvian0.9%(314)
Puerto Rican0.7%(245)
Ecuadorian0.5%(195)
Colombian0.5%(165)
Venezuelan0.1%(45)
Nicaraguan0.1%(21)
Guatemalan0.1%(20)
Bolivian0%(14)
Cuban0%(9)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.3%(821)
Filipino1.2%(431)
Pakistani0.4%(144)
Chinese0.2%(64)
Korean0.1%(48)
Nepalese0.1%(40)
Vietnamese0.1%(32)
Taiwanese0.1%(26)
Hmong0%(9)
Thai0%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German21.2%(7,722)
Irish11.3%(4,122)
English8.3%(3,015)
Italian7.4%(2,699)
Polish6.6%(2,392)
French2.9%(1,047)
Swedish1.7%(625)
American1.6%(595)
Lithuanian1.5%(535)
Norwegian1.5%(531)
Czech1.3%(482)
Scottish1.2%(444)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
Arab1.2%(424)
Dutch1%(381)
Greek0.9%(318)
Romanian0.9%(313)
British0.7%(258)
Russian0.7%(250)
Croatian0.5%(181)
Danish0.4%(151)
Hungarian0.4%(140)
Austrian0.4%(138)
Ukrainian0.4%(130)
Welsh0.4%(129)
Slovak0.3%(112)
Canadian0.3%(105)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(84)
Nigerian0.2%(84)
Macedonian0.2%(69)
Swiss0.2%(68)
Serbian0.2%(67)
West Indian0.2%(56)
Iraqi0.1%(47)
Belgian0.1%(43)
Finnish0%(9)
Slovene0%(9)
Section 05

Education

44.3%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 33.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.4%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 93.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
17.6%
+6.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

31.5 min
+25%since 2000
from 25.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
73.4%
−10.6 ptssince 2009
from 84.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
6.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
1.2%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
17.5%
+13.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
0.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
0.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
1.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

2.6%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 6.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
70.6%
−5.8 ptssince 2011
from 76.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.8%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 75.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
14.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
46.0%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 43.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

48.1%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
51.9%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
14.3%
+7.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
4.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
7.5%
+2.1 ptssince 2012
from 5.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
3.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2013
from 5.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
97.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2017
from 97.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
99.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 97.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
90.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 88.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
77.1%
−7.1 ptssince 2016
from 84.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
14.1%
+3.7 ptssince 2016
from 10.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31%(4,265)
Married59.9%(8,251)
Widowed2.1%(285)
Divorced7.1%(972)
Women 15+
Never married32.5%(4,901)
Married52.3%(7,889)
Widowed4.6%(686)
Divorced10.6%(1,600)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

3.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2013
from 5.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
74.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 74.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.9%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
11.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 10.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
12.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 9.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
83.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 84.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
23.4%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.5% 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)35.6%(447)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)34.9%(438)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era19.5%(245)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(64)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.2%(28)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,255 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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Oswego, Illinois?

Oswego, Illinois has about 36,375 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Oswego, Illinois?

The typical household in Oswego, Illinois earns about $123,792 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Oswego, Illinois expensive?

In Oswego, Illinois, the median home is worth about $344,500, and the typical rent is about $1,860 a month.

How educated are people in Oswego, Illinois?

About 44.3% of adults age 25 and over in Oswego, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Oswego, Illinois?

About 2.6% of people in Oswego, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Oswego, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Oswego, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 32,499 residents, a change of about 838 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →