United States › Illinois › Princeton CITY
Princeton Illinois · 7,674 residents (2025 est.) · 8.24 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 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
The short version
Princeton is home to 7,975 people in Illinois. At a median age of 46.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Median home value sits at $134,700. 1% of locals were born outside the United States. 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That trails the Illinois median by roughly 26%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
26% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 19%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 7,501 in 2000
7,674 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 931 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 41.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
7K 7K 8K 8K 8K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Princeton Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $61,946
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,622 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $20,632 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 22.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 7.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.433 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 5.8%
Professional, scientific, technical 5.4%
Transportation & warehousing 3.3%
Public administration 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.1%
Education & health services 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$134,700
−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $91,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$782
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $405 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 68.6% in 2000
31.4% rent
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.13 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.14 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.9 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.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 97.1%(7,280)
Hispanic / Latino 1.2%(93)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 86.5%(6,896)
Hispanic / Latino 5.3%(419)
from 9 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 19 more ancestry groups with data from 21.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 88.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 78.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 63.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 77.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 26.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 11.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 75.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 89.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 84.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 31.7%(1,022)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 51.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 21.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 29.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 19.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 70.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 44.5% 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) 18.5%(84)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.9%(68)
Share of the 455 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 Princeton Head to head
Compare Princeton to nearby cities PRINCETON VS
Peru
Income $74,808 +21%
Home value $154,300 +15%
Population 9,780 +27%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PRINCETON VS
LaSalle
Income $57,732 −7%
Home value $113,500 −16%
Population 9,388 +22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PRINCETON VS
Kewanee
Income $50,886 −18%
Home value $73,200 −46%
Population 12,115 +58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PRINCETON VS
Rock Falls
Income $49,600 −20%
Home value $83,900 −38%
Population 8,521 +11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Princeton, Illinois? Princeton, Illinois has about 7,975 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Princeton, Illinois? The typical household in Princeton, Illinois earns about $61,946 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Princeton, Illinois expensive? In Princeton, Illinois, the median home is worth about $134,700, and the typical rent is about $782 a month.
How educated are people in Princeton, Illinois? About 26.3% of adults age 25 and over in Princeton, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Princeton, Illinois? About 12.7% of people in Princeton, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Princeton, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Princeton, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 778 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here