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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Cook County

Illinois · 5,275,541 residents · 945 sq mi
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With 5,275,541 people, Cook County is a county in Illinois. 54% of homes are owner-occupied. About 40% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The foreign-born share is 21%. Getting to work takes 33 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $255,500, having risen by half since 2000.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 37.4
US median: 38.8
More educated
40% 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

Total population
5,275,541
−2%since 2000
from 5,376,741 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.4
+11%since 2000
from 33.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
945 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
5.1M5.2M5.2M5.3M5.4M19902000201020202024Cook County
20245.2M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.4%(284,422)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(298,754)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.1%(323,287)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.2%(326,632)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.8%(359,607)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3416.2%(855,785)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.7%(724,631)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.4%(655,080)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.4%(652,884)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.9%(468,027)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.3%(228,837)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.8%(97,595)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$67,886
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,922 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,239
+69%since 2000
from $23,227 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
46.1%
+10.9 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
13.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 13.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade9.3%
US avg: 10%
Information9.3%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services8.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance7.4%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration6.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade4.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$255,500
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $154,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,160
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $648 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
54.3%
−3.6 ptssince 2000
from 57.9% in 2000
45.7% rent
Persons per household
2.55 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.66 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.8
−24%since 2009
from 5.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
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-Hispanic47.6%(2,558,709)
Black25.9%(1,390,448)
Hispanic / Latino19.9%(1,071,740)
Asian4.8%(257,843)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic40.5%(2,135,243)
Black22.5%(1,185,601)
Hispanic / Latino26.2%(1,382,778)
Asian7.7%(408,691)
Other2.4%(128,250)
Segregation Score
54
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican19.4%(1,001,481)
Puerto Rican2.7%(137,311)
South American1.3%(64,647)
Guatemalan0.5%(27,806)
Ecuadorian0.5%(26,401)
Cuban0.3%(16,466)
Colombian0.3%(15,663)
Salvadoran0.2%(10,570)
Honduran0.2%(9,736)
Peruvian0.2%(9,148)
Spaniard0.2%(7,755)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(4,870)
Argentine0.1%(4,223)
Venezuelan0.1%(4,007)
Nicaraguan0%(2,122)
Chilean0%(1,943)
Panamanian0%(1,681)
Bolivian0%(1,664)
Costa Rican0%(1,400)
Uruguayan0%(594)
Paraguayan0%(278)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.3%(120,095)
Chinese1.6%(80,339)
Filipino1.3%(67,387)
Korean0.7%(35,311)
Pakistani0.4%(21,749)
Vietnamese0.3%(17,956)
Japanese0.2%(12,297)
Thai0.1%(5,726)
Mongolian0.1%(3,111)
Taiwanese0%(2,314)
Nepalese0%(1,705)
Cambodian0%(1,662)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(1,462)
Laotian0%(854)
Malaysian0%(729)
Indonesian0%(642)
Sri Lankan0%(549)
Hmong0%(287)
Bhutanese0%(31)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(837)
Chamorro0%(618)
Fijian0%(95)
Tongan0%(10)
Ancestry
German9.4%(485,064)
Irish8.7%(448,570)
Polish7.7%(399,234)
Italian5.1%(264,085)
English3.1%(157,723)
American2.2%(115,878)
Subsaharan African1.2%(64,290)
Swedish1.2%(64,209)
Russian1.2%(60,824)
French1%(52,026)
Greek0.9%(47,226)
Dutch0.8%(39,171)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(38,160)
Scottish0.7%(36,579)
Czech0.7%(36,238)
Lithuanian0.7%(33,822)
Ukrainian0.6%(32,523)
West Indian0.5%(23,746)
Romanian0.4%(21,874)
Hungarian0.4%(18,185)
Croatian0.3%(16,544)
Nigerian0.3%(16,246)
British0.3%(15,406)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(15,225)
Austrian0.3%(15,214)
Serbian0.3%(14,887)
Danish0.3%(13,497)
Palestinian0.3%(13,487)
Welsh0.2%(12,825)
Slovak0.2%(12,372)
Arab0.2%(11,554)
Bulgarian0.2%(10,935)
French Canadian0.2%(10,342)
Jamaican0.2%(10,115)
Jordanian0.2%(8,269)
Swiss0.2%(7,963)
Haitian0.1%(6,082)
Iranian0.1%(6,081)
Finnish0.1%(6,019)
Belgian0.1%(5,413)
Ethiopian0.1%(5,344)
Lebanese0.1%(5,279)
Turkish0.1%(5,240)
Syrian0.1%(5,228)
Canadian0.1%(5,199)
Iraqi0.1%(4,895)
Armenian0.1%(4,877)
Egyptian0.1%(4,481)
Macedonian0.1%(4,333)
Slovene0.1%(3,797)
Portuguese0.1%(3,705)
Brazilian0.1%(3,681)
Ghanaian0.1%(2,986)
Moroccan0.1%(2,827)
Latvian0%(2,538)
Israeli0%(2,426)
Australian0%(1,809)
Somali0%(1,060)
Kenyan0%(675)
Guyanese0%(611)
Barbadian0%(319)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
40.0%
+11.9 ptssince 2000
from 28.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
87.7%
+10.0 ptssince 2000
from 77.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
16.4%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
33.2 min
+39%since 2000
from 23.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
59.9%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 62.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
17.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 17.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 10.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
66.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2011
from 66.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
42.4%
+6.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
Female
51.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
Foreign born
20.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 20.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
8.7%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
91.4%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married44.4%(919,738)
Married46.1%(955,528)
Widowed2.5%(51,378)
Divorced7%(145,157)
Women 15+
Never married40.5%(897,366)
Married41.8%(925,110)
Widowed7.9%(174,950)
Divorced9.8%(216,729)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.7%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
55.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
11.9%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
21.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.3%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
65.8%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
34.3%
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)15.5%(23,700)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.1%(23,069)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era35.5%(54,154)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.9%(13,523)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.4%(6,721)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 152,483 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 Cook County

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Pop 5,045,026
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Pop 4,689,558
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Pop 2,653,963
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Pop 9,694,934
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Head to head

Compare Cook County to nearby counties

COOK COUNTY VS
Lake County
Income$110,416+63%
Home value$345,700+35%
Population719,339−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COOK COUNTY VS
DuPage County
Income$112,096+65%
Home value$391,400+53%
Population934,298−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COOK COUNTY VS
Lake County
Income$71,493+5%
Home value$230,600−10%
Population504,612−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COOK COUNTY VS
Will County
Income$109,984+62%
Home value$319,600+25%
Population712,253−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cook County, Illinois?

Cook County, Illinois has about 5,275,541 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Cook County, Illinois?

The typical household in Cook County, Illinois earns about $67,886 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Cook County, Illinois expensive?

In Cook County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $255,500, and the typical rent is about $1,160 a month.

How educated are people in Cook County, Illinois?

About 40.0% of adults age 25 and over in Cook County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Cook County, Illinois?

About 13.7% of people in Cook County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Cook County, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Cook County, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 170,474 residents, a change of about 3 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 →

Cook County, Illinois (2020): demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy