United States › Illinois › River Forest CITY · 2020 ACS
River Forest Illinois · 11,717 residents · 2.48 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 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
River Forest is home to 11,717 people in Illinois. This is an unusually credentialed place: 80% of adults have a four-year degree. Households here earn about 83% more than in Illinois as a whole. The typical home is worth $604,900, having risen by half since 2000. Owners hold 86% of the housing stock. Households take in $125,288 a year at the median, 89% more than the country as a whole.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
80% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 38.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
11K 11K 11K 12K 12K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 River Forest Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $125,288
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $89,284 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $46,123 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 62.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 2.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Public administration 10.3%
Transportation & warehousing 3.7%
Professional, scientific, technical 3%
Arts, entertainment, food 2%
Education & health services 0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0%
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$604,900
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $342,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$1,309
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $735 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 86.9% in 2000
14.1% rent
from 2.65 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 5.5 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 86.7%(10,084)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 70.9%(8,308)
Hispanic / Latino 8.5%(991)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data from 69.7% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 96.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 38.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 19.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 59.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.9% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 63.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 63.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 5.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 40.2%(1,917)
Women 15+
Never married 29.8%(1,490)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 5.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 4.9%(14)
Gulf War (1990s) 10.5%(30)
Share of the 286 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.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to River Forest Head to head
Compare River Forest to nearby cities RIVER FOREST VS
Oak Park
Income $110,820 −12%
Home value $465,500 −23%
Population 52,823 +364%
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RIVER FOREST VS
Maywood
Income $68,815 −45%
Home value $229,800 −62%
Population 23,330 +105%
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RIVER FOREST VS
Forest Park
Income $77,221 −38%
Home value $304,700 −50%
Population 13,829 +21%
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RIVER FOREST VS
Elmwood Park
Income $91,955 −27%
Home value $339,300 −44%
Population 23,675 +108%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in River Forest, Illinois? River Forest, Illinois has about 11,717 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in River Forest, Illinois? The typical household in River Forest, Illinois earns about $125,288 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is River Forest, Illinois expensive? In River Forest, Illinois, the median home is worth about $604,900, and the typical rent is about $1,309 a month.
How educated are people in River Forest, Illinois? About 80.1% of adults age 25 and over in River Forest, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in River Forest, Illinois? About 2.2% of people in River Forest, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has River Forest, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, River Forest, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 48 residents, a change of about 0 percent over that period.
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