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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Park Forest

Illinois · 23,462 residents · 4.96 sq mi
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The short version

Park Forest is a city of 23,462 people in Illinois. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock. The average commute runs 25 minutes. The typical home is worth $83,200. The poverty rate is 6.7%, under the national 12.4%. About 27% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 35.6
US median: 35.2
More educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

23,462
−5%since 1990
from 24,656 in 1990
1990 – 2025
35.6
+9%since 1990
from 32.5 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
4.96 sq mi
Population, 19902024
21K22K23K24K25K19902000201020202024Park Forest
202421K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.1%(1,676)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.9%(1,845)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.5%(1,764)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.8%(1,596)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.5%(1,284)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.4%(3,371)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.5%(3,878)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5414.2%(3,343)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.5%(2,000)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.2%(1,460)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.4%(1,025)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over0.9%(220)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$47,579
−2%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $36,995 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$21,493
+46%since 1990
from $14,756 in 1990
US average: $21,522
6.7%
+1.8 ptssince 1990
from 4.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$83,200
+8%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $58,400 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$689
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $479 in 1990
US average: $602
74.4%
+4.7 ptssince 1990
from 69.7% in 1990
25.6% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic72.6%(17,892)
Black24.2%(5,978)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(889)
Asian1.2%(284)
2000
White, non-Hispanic52.9%(12,412)
Black39%(9,144)
Hispanic / Latino5%(1,169)
Asian0.8%(188)

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%(1,894)
Puerto Rican0.2%(50)
Costa Rican0.1%(31)
Spaniard0.1%(22)
Salvadoran0.1%(18)
Asian origin
Chinese0.1%(24)
Japanese0.1%(14)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(9)
Ancestry
German6.2%(1,310)
Irish5.3%(1,119)
English2.6%(545)
American2.2%(460)
Italian2%(432)
Polish1.9%(402)
Nigerian1.5%(319)
Swedish0.9%(198)
French0.5%(111)
Serbian0.5%(109)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(91)
+ 22 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.4%(87)
Scottish0.3%(72)
Dutch0.3%(64)
Hungarian0.2%(50)
British0.2%(47)
Slovak0.2%(40)
Austrian0.2%(38)
Iranian0.2%(38)
Swiss0.2%(36)
Norwegian0.2%(34)
Danish0.2%(32)
West Indian0.1%(31)
Ghanaian0.1%(26)
Jamaican0.1%(25)
Czech0.1%(22)
Lithuanian0.1%(21)
Welsh0.1%(13)
Greek0%(9)
Haitian0%(6)
Section 05

Education

26.9%
+2.0 ptssince 1990
from 24.9% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
88.4%
+1.4 ptssince 1990
from 86.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
10.3%
+1.3 ptssince 1990
from 9.0% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

25.0 min
−7%since 1990
from 26.9 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.4%(2,774)
Married53.8%(4,333)
Widowed2.7%(220)
Divorced9.1%(731)
Women 15+
Never married26.9%(2,703)
Married46.5%(4,666)
Widowed11%(1,100)
Divorced15.7%(1,574)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

9.0%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 14.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
46.8%
−7.0 ptssince 2020
from 53.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.4%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 9.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
18.4%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 19.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
33.0%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 28.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
56.7%
−4.6 ptssince 2020
from 61.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
47.3%
+4.4 ptssince 2020
from 42.9% 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)32.9%(245)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.8%(140)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.7%(206)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.1%(23)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.8%(28)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 745 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 Park Forest, Illinois?

Park Forest, Illinois has about 23,462 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Park Forest, Illinois?

The typical household in Park Forest, Illinois earns about $47,579 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Park Forest, Illinois expensive?

In Park Forest, Illinois, the median home is worth about $83,200, and the typical rent is about $689 a month.

How educated are people in Park Forest, Illinois?

About 26.9% of adults age 25 and over in Park Forest, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Park Forest, Illinois?

About 6.7% of people in Park Forest, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Park Forest, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Park Forest, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,194 residents, a change of about -5 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 →