CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Ottawa

Illinois · 17,462 residents · 14.9 sq mi

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The short version

Ottawa is home to 17,462 people in Illinois. At a median age of 36.5, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Median home value sits at $53,500. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Getting to work takes 15 minutes on average. Households here earn about 19% less than in Illinois as a whole.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 36.5

US median: 33.0

Less educated

13% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 20%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

17,462

−5%vs 2000

vs 18,307 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

36.5

−5%vs 2000

vs 38.2 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

14.9 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202418K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57%(1,231)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.7%(1,167)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.6%(1,151)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196%(1,041)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 245.5%(952)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3416.1%(2,817)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.1%(2,290)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.7%(1,692)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410%(1,753)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 7410.2%(1,786)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 846.3%(1,094)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2.8%(488)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$26,077

−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $36,513 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$13,195

−32%vs 2000

vs $19,426 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

11.0%

−0.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 11.3% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$53,500

−20%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $87,800 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$347

−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $490 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

66.1%

−1.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 67.4% in 2000

33.9% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic91.5%(16,756)

Black1.3%(241)

Hispanic / Latino5.2%(954)

Asian0.8%(152)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic97.4%(17,014)

Black0.8%(134)

Hispanic / Latino3.3%(579)

Asian0.4%(66)

Other1.4%(248)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican9.2%(1,699)

Spaniard0.1%(15)

Puerto Rican0%(5)

Asian origin

Filipino0.4%(72)

Asian Indian0.2%(40)

Vietnamese0.2%(39)

Chinese0.1%(16)

Japanese0%(9)

Cambodian0%(8)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.1%(20)

Ancestry

German25.6%(4,719)

Irish16.4%(3,025)

English10.1%(1,861)

American6.8%(1,249)

Polish6%(1,109)

Italian5.5%(1,016)

Norwegian4%(744)

Dutch1.7%(308)

Scottish1.5%(282)

French1.4%(263)

Swedish1.1%(206)

Arab0.9%(159)

+ 24 more ancestry groups with data

Egyptian0.9%(159)

Lebanese0.9%(159)

Lithuanian0.8%(151)

Slovak0.8%(147)

Scotch-Irish0.7%(132)

Hungarian0.6%(113)

Austrian0.4%(80)

Welsh0.3%(60)

Danish0.3%(53)

Croatian0.2%(34)

Macedonian0.2%(31)

Subsaharan African0.1%(19)

Brazilian0.1%(17)

British0.1%(16)

Czech0.1%(16)

Iranian0.1%(15)

Swiss0.1%(13)

Romanian0.1%(11)

Greek0.1%(10)

French Canadian0%(9)

Slovene0%(5)

Ukrainian0%(3)

West Indian0%(1)

Haitian0%(1)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Mexican population · Largest American population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

12.9%

−3.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.3% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

74.2%

−8.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 82.5% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

4.1%

−1.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 5.1% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

14.7 min

−7%vs 2000

vs 15.8 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married37.7%(2,657)

Married49.2%(3,469)

Widowed1.5%(103)

Divorced11.6%(817)

Women 15+

Never married30.3%(2,334)

Married41.8%(3,220)

Widowed12.8%(986)

Divorced15.1%(1,160)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

5.0%

−7.0 ptssince 2013

from 12.0% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

55.7%

−1.8 ptssince 2020

from 57.5% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

11.7%

−1.7 ptssince 2020

from 13.4% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

18.5%

+0.1 ptssince 2020

from 18.4% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

31.2%

+4.8 ptssince 2020

from 26.4% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.9%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 2.9% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

64.9%

−3.6 ptssince 2020

from 68.5% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

46.2%

+2.6 ptssince 2020

from 43.6% 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)16.4%(180)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)37.5%(412)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era33.1%(364)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War4.5%(50)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,100 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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