Waukegan is home to 89,076 people in Illinois. The foreign-born share is 31%. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. 50% of homes are owner-occupied. Density works out to 3,678 people per square mile. The typical home is worth $190,900, having risen by half since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $71,919, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 12%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Waukegan
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share22.7% → 57.9%(+35.2 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share54.2% → 16.7%(−37.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$172,805 → $190,900(+10%)US over the same years: +67%
Waukegan's population equals 12% of Lake County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 4.8% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 5.5% of the county's.
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)23.3%(615)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)31.3%(829)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era30.4%(804)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.8%(48)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(7)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,645 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
Over time
Waukegan, decade by decade
Waukegan population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
69,392
$75,158
$172,805
14.1%
76.8
2000
87,901
$77,120
$216,230
16.3%
83.4
2010
89,078
$69,033
$237,652
15.9%
78.9
2020
89,321
$65,181
$170,049
19.8%
73.9
2024
89,076
$71,919
$190,900
20.9%
75.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
