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COUNTY

DeKalb County

Illinois · 101,835 residents (2025 est.) · 631.337 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#131Youngest by median ageof 3,14432.7
The short version

DeKalb County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $70,724. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $243,600. At a median age of 32.7, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. It sits in the top 10% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
100,703
+13%since 2000
from 88,969 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
160 / sq mi
−3%since 2009
from 165 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
32.7
+15%since 2000
from 28.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:101,835 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
75K83K92K100K108K1990201020202024DeKalb County
2024101K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(5,413)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(6,639)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.8%(5,878)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.8%(8,846)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2413.2%(13,290)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.4%(13,503)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.8%(11,899)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.3%(10,333)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.8%(10,882)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.3%(8,368)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844%(4,046)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(1,606)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,724
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,828 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,298
+87%since 2000
from $19,462 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.4%
+14.7 ptssince 2009
from 32.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.8%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.450
+8%since 2010
from 0.416 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$243,600
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $133,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,049
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $577 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
61.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2000
from 59.5% in 2000
38.6% rent
Vacancy rate
5.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
23.5%
−9.9 ptssince 2009
from 33.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 53.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.4
−4%since 2009
from 3.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
17
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in DeKalb County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic85.2%(75,772)
Black4.5%(4,040)
Hispanic / Latino6.6%(5,830)
Asian2.3%(2,067)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic71%(71,499)
Black6.8%(6,810)
Hispanic / Latino14.5%(14,647)
Asian2.2%(2,262)
Other5.4%(5,485)
Diversity Score
58
+40%since 2009
from 42 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
33
+1%since 2020
from 32 in 2020
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
Mexican11.5%(11,610)
Puerto Rican1.5%(1,514)
Colombian0.3%(271)
Honduran0.2%(189)
Chilean0.2%(152)
Spaniard0.1%(137)
Cuban0.1%(128)
Guatemalan0.1%(128)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.6%(585)
Asian Indian0.5%(467)
Chinese0.4%(387)
Korean0.2%(172)
Vietnamese0.2%(171)
Nepalese0.1%(131)
Laotian0.1%(75)
Pakistani0%(36)
Uzbek0%(32)
Thai0%(28)
Japanese0%(24)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(42)
Ancestry
German23.7%(23,824)
Irish15.2%(15,331)
English8.9%(9,012)
Italian6.5%(6,570)
Polish5.7%(5,751)
Swedish4.1%(4,136)
Norwegian4%(3,978)
American3.4%(3,408)
French2.4%(2,401)
Scottish1.6%(1,651)
Dutch1%(1,028)
Czech0.9%(924)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.6%(635)
Hungarian0.6%(564)
Ukrainian0.5%(530)
Greek0.4%(445)
Romanian0.4%(443)
Welsh0.4%(405)
Lithuanian0.4%(400)
Slovak0.4%(389)
Arab0.3%(268)
Russian0.3%(266)
Austrian0.2%(251)
Danish0.2%(231)
Finnish0.2%(215)
British0.2%(210)
Swiss0.2%(208)
Belgian0.2%(154)
Nigerian0.1%(132)
Serbian0.1%(125)
West Indian0.1%(123)
Canadian0.1%(103)
Somali0.1%(75)
Croatian0.1%(73)
Slovene0.1%(57)
Jordanian0%(48)
Ghanaian0%(48)
Armenian0%(40)
Turkish0%(36)
Jamaican0%(34)
Haitian0%(33)
Iranian0%(27)
Latvian0%(25)
Lebanese0%(24)
Ethiopian0%(13)
Israeli0%(2)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest English population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.0%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 26.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.2%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 87.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.3%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.7 min
+47%since 2000
from 18.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.8%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.3%
+5.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.8%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 10.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
68.4%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 70.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
34.9%
−27.6 ptssince 2009
from 62.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Female
50.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Foreign born
6.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.2%
−44.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.1%
+3.7 ptssince 2012
from 7.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.1%
−84.3 ptssince 2013
from 89.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.7%
+8.5 ptssince 2017
from 84.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
88.0%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 88.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
8.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2016
from 6.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married44.1%(18,054)
Married45.5%(18,630)
Widowed1.8%(751)
Divorced8.6%(3,515)
Women 15+
Never married40.4%(16,894)
Married41.2%(17,245)
Widowed7.3%(3,042)
Divorced11.1%(4,642)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Head to head

Compare DeKalb County to nearby counties

DEKALB COUNTY VS
Kane County
Income$103,163+46%
Home value$327,000+34%
Population525,757+416%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DEKALB COUNTY VS
Kendall County
Income$111,601+58%
Home value$322,400+32%
Population145,470+43%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DEKALB COUNTY VS
Lee County
Income$70,292−1%
Home value$154,600−37%
Population32,914−68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DEKALB COUNTY VS
Boone County
Income$84,571+20%
Home value$216,900−11%
Population53,568−47%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in DeKalb County, Illinois?

DeKalb County, Illinois has about 100,703 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in DeKalb County, Illinois earns about $70,724 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is DeKalb County, Illinois expensive?

In DeKalb County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $243,600, and the typical rent is about $1,049 a month.

How educated are people in DeKalb County, Illinois?

About 33.0% of adults age 25 and over in DeKalb County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in DeKalb County, Illinois?

About 14.8% of people in DeKalb County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has DeKalb County, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, DeKalb County, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 22,771 residents, a change of about 29 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

23 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 1Census Tract 8Census Tract 10.02Census Tract 14Census Tract 6Census Tract 9Census Tract 13Census Tract 2Census Tract 20Census Tract 4.02Census Tract 16Census Tract 4.01Census Tract 10.03Census Tract 15Census Tract 5Census Tract 7Census Tract 22Census Tract 18Census Tract 17Census Tract 3
13 ZIP codes
ZIP 60115ZIP 60178ZIP 60548ZIP 60135ZIP 60112ZIP 60552ZIP 60520ZIP 60145ZIP 60146ZIP 60556ZIP 60150ZIP 60550ZIP 60111
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →