United States › Illinois › Ottawa CITY · 2010 ACS
Ottawa Illinois · 18,768 residents · 14.9 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 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 2024 ACS
The short version
Ottawa is home to 18,768 people in Illinois. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value sits at $123,500. The foreign-born share is 3%. At a median age of 40.2, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 16% less than in Illinois as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 40.2
US median: 37.2
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01
Population & growth from 38.2 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 18K 18K 19K 19K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Ottawa Age distribution, 2010
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $46,556
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,513 in 2000
US average: $52,703
from $19,426 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
from 22.6% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
from 11.3% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Workforce by industry, 2010
Transportation & warehousing 3.4%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.4%
Education & health services 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 2.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$123,500
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $87,800 in 2000
US average: $225,659
$666
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $490 in 2000
US average: $853
from 67.4% in 2000
32.8% rent
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
from 2.24 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
from 39.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
from 2.6 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.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 91.5%(16,756)
Hispanic / Latino 5.2%(954)
2010
White, non-Hispanic 88.3%(16,566)
Hispanic / Latino 7.5%(1,406)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data from 16.3% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
from 82.5% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
from 5.1% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.8 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
from 83.7% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07
Work & employment from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
from 29.2% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08
People & community from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 37.7%(2,657)
Women 15+
Never married 30.3%(2,334)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
from 12.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 57.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 13.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 18.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 26.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 68.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
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)
Gulf War (1990s) 37.5%(412)
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
Drill deeper
Places similar to Ottawa Head to head
Compare Ottawa to nearby cities OTTAWA VS
LaSalle
Income $57,732 +24%
Home value $113,500 −8%
Population 9,388 −50%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA VS
Streator
Income $57,609 +24%
Home value $94,700 −23%
Population 12,190 −35%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA VS
Peru
Income $74,808 +61%
Home value $154,300 +25%
Population 9,780 −48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA VS
Morris
Income $76,711 +65%
Home value $247,400 +100%
Population 14,669 −21%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Ottawa, Illinois? Ottawa, Illinois has about 18,768 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Ottawa, Illinois? The typical household in Ottawa, Illinois earns about $46,556 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Ottawa, Illinois expensive? In Ottawa, Illinois, the median home is worth about $123,500, and the typical rent is about $666 a month.
How educated are people in Ottawa, Illinois? About 18.8% of adults age 25 and over in Ottawa, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Ottawa, Illinois? About 12.3% of people in Ottawa, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Ottawa, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Ottawa, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,306 residents, a change of about 7 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 