COUNTY
DeKalb County
Illinois · 101,835 residents (2025 est.) · 631 sq mi
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Part of the Chicago metro area
Notable rankings
#131Youngest by median ageof 3,14432.7The short version
DeKalb County is a county of 100,703 people in Illinois. That puts it in the top 10% of US counties for household income. The median age is 32.7, younger than the US median of 38.9. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $243,600. The foreign-born share is 6%. That trails the Illinois median by roughly 15%.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $70,724, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about DeKalb County
What changed most since 1990
- Adults with a bachelor's degree26.1% → 33.0% (+6.9 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$194,166 → $243,600 (+25%)US over the same years: +67%
Among the 102 counties in Illinois
- 42nd in household income$70,724
- 15th in share with a bachelor's degree33.0%
- 10th in home value$243,600
- 16th in diversity score58.3
Section 01
Population & growth
100,703
+13%since 2000
from 88,969 in 2000
101,835 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
631 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024101K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(5,413)
5 to 96.6%(6,639)
10 to 145.8%(5,878)
15 to 198.8%(8,846)
20 to 2413.2%(13,290)
25 to 3413.4%(13,503)
35 to 4411.8%(11,899)
45 to 5410.3%(10,333)
55 to 6410.8%(10,882)
65 to 748.3%(8,368)
75 to 844%(4,046)
85 and over1.6%(1,606)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$70,724
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,828 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
47.4%
+14.7 ptssince 2009
from 32.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.9%
Information11.5%
Wholesale trade6.8%
Finance & insurance6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.6%
Other services4.5%
Public administration3.3%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
Construction1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
Education & health services1.1%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$243,600
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $133,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.4
−4%since 2009
from 3.6 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
17
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
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)
58
+40%since 2009
from 42 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
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)
South American0.5%(468)
Central American0.4%(366)
Colombian0.3%(271)
Honduran0.2%(189)
Chilean0.2%(152)
Spaniard0.1%(137)
Cuban0.1%(128)
Guatemalan0.1%(128)
Venezuelan0%(33)
Salvadoran0%(30)
+ 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)
Bangladeshi0%(25)
Japanese0%(24)
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)
Subsaharan African0.6%(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)
French Canadian0.3%(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)
Australian0%(45)
Armenian0%(40)
Turkish0%(36)
Jamaican0%(34)
Haitian0%(33)
Cape Verdean0%(32)
Iranian0%(27)
Latvian0%(25)
Lebanese0%(24)
Portuguese0%(19)
Palestinian0%(15)
Ethiopian0%(13)
Egyptian0%(7)
Brazilian0%(7)
Bulgarian0%(2)
Israeli0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.2%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 87.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.1%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 78.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 94.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
13.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.0%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 73.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.4%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 31.9% 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)26.6%(1,087)
Gulf War (1990s)17.6%(722)
Vietnam era31.8%(1,302)
Korean War3.6%(148)
World War II0.6%(23)
Share of the 4,092 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
DeKalb County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 77,932 | $74,076 | $194,166 | 26.1% | 18.8 |
| 2000 | 88,969 | $83,483 | $243,920 | 26.8% | 33.4 |
| 2010 | 105,160 | $77,686 | $276,637 | 28.0% | 43.7 |
| 2020 | 100,420 | $75,574 | $220,955 | 32.4% | 58.7 |
| 2024 | 100,703 | $70,724 | $243,600 | 33.0% | 58.3 |
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.
Drill deeper
Places similar to DeKalb County
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Places similar to DeKalb CountyHead 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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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 313 ZIP codes
ZIP 60115ZIP 60178ZIP 60548ZIP 60135ZIP 60112ZIP 60552ZIP 60520ZIP 60145ZIP 60146ZIP 60556ZIP 60150ZIP 60550ZIP 60111Up the hierarchy
All counties in IllinoisDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024