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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Chicago Metro

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · 13 counties · 8,948,739 residents · 6,923 sq mi
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The short version

Chicago is a metro area of 8,948,739 people. Home values have risen by half since 1990, reaching $156,535. The average commute runs 23 minutes. 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Households take in $51,746 a year at the median, 21% more than the country as a whole. Headcount has barely moved since 1990.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 33.9
US median: 35.2
More educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
8,948,739
+11%since 1990
from 8,053,895 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,293 / sq mi
+11%since 1990
from 1,163 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
33.9
+4%since 1990
from 32.5 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
6,923 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
7.9M8.3M8.8M9.2M9.6M19902000201020202024Chicago
20249.4M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.4%(664,927)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.8%(697,227)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.4%(659,895)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197%(630,670)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 246.7%(603,101)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.4%(1,374,902)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.3%(1,454,410)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413%(1,167,204)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.1%(723,085)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.7%(511,424)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.9%(344,735)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.3%(117,159)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,746
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $35,983 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,671
+50%since 1990
from $16,395 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
10.5%
−0.8 ptssince 1990
from 11.3% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$156,535
+16%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $102,556 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$671
+4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $492 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
65.4%
+3.5 ptssince 1990
from 61.9% in 1990
34.6% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic71.6%(5,769,059)
Black19.1%(1,541,579)
Hispanic / Latino10.8%(867,165)
Asian3.2%(256,833)
2000
White, non-Hispanic58.9%(5,270,212)
Black18.6%(1,664,453)
Hispanic / Latino16.6%(1,483,946)
Asian4.3%(383,448)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican18.4%(1,727,884)
Puerto Rican2.2%(207,529)
South American1.3%(122,588)
Guatemalan0.4%(41,380)
Ecuadorian0.4%(35,329)
Colombian0.4%(33,656)
Cuban0.3%(28,965)
Venezuelan0.2%(21,205)
Honduran0.2%(20,949)
Salvadoran0.2%(19,104)
Spaniard0.2%(18,381)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(14,132)
Dominican0.1%(8,858)
Argentine0.1%(7,673)
Chilean0.1%(5,190)
Nicaraguan0.1%(4,889)
Panamanian0%(3,880)
Bolivian0%(2,722)
Costa Rican0%(2,597)
Uruguayan0%(988)
Paraguayan0%(687)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.6%(241,703)
Filipino1.3%(125,212)
Chinese1.2%(115,094)
Korean0.6%(52,132)
Pakistani0.5%(42,556)
Vietnamese0.3%(23,912)
Japanese0.2%(14,841)
Taiwanese0.1%(6,710)
Thai0.1%(6,593)
Burmese0.1%(5,680)
Mongolian0.1%(5,271)
Laotian0%(3,825)
+ 13 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0%(3,663)
Bangladeshi0%(3,140)
Nepalese0%(3,056)
Kazakh0%(2,169)
Indonesian0%(1,403)
Sri Lankan0%(1,319)
Uzbek0%(1,112)
Malaysian0%(867)
Hmong0%(459)
Bhutanese0%(147)
Okinawan0%(62)
Mien0%(19)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(1,576)
Chamorro0%(1,073)
Tongan0%(504)
Guamanian0%(308)
Fijian0%(297)
Ancestry
German12.7%(1,191,009)
Irish10.1%(941,886)
Polish7.8%(729,368)
Italian6.1%(567,787)
English4.9%(460,439)
American2.5%(235,432)
Swedish1.5%(144,888)
Subsaharan African1.3%(120,695)
French1.2%(108,400)
Dutch1%(92,664)
Arab1%(92,152)
Scottish1%(90,825)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.9%(88,972)
Russian0.9%(86,373)
Greek0.9%(82,506)
Czech0.8%(73,140)
Lithuanian0.7%(64,487)
Ukrainian0.7%(62,579)
Hungarian0.4%(38,612)
West Indian0.4%(36,133)
Croatian0.4%(35,272)
Romanian0.4%(34,057)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(32,607)
Nigerian0.3%(32,145)
Slovak0.3%(32,115)
Serbian0.3%(27,351)
Austrian0.3%(26,166)
Danish0.3%(25,357)
Welsh0.2%(23,213)
British0.2%(22,272)
Palestinian0.2%(22,206)
French Canadian0.2%(18,741)
Bulgarian0.2%(16,231)
Swiss0.2%(15,695)
Jamaican0.2%(15,042)
Finnish0.1%(12,321)
Lebanese0.1%(11,921)
Iranian0.1%(11,217)
Canadian0.1%(10,953)
Belgian0.1%(10,550)
Slovene0.1%(10,006)
Jordanian0.1%(9,275)
Haitian0.1%(8,885)
Portuguese0.1%(8,700)
Armenian0.1%(8,642)
Ghanaian0.1%(8,611)
Macedonian0.1%(8,321)
Turkish0.1%(8,014)
Ethiopian0.1%(6,811)
Iraqi0.1%(6,667)
Egyptian0.1%(6,521)
Brazilian0.1%(6,199)
Moroccan0.1%(5,967)
Syrian0.1%(5,498)
Latvian0%(4,124)
Australian0%(3,393)
Israeli0%(3,209)
Somali0%(1,354)
Kenyan0%(1,159)
Guyanese0%(832)
Barbadian0%(767)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.1%
+5.5 ptssince 1990
from 23.6% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.1%
+4.4 ptssince 1990
from 76.7% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
10.7%
+2.3 ptssince 1990
from 8.4% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.9 min
−12%since 1990
from 26.1 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.1%(1,136,588)
Married56.4%(1,879,770)
Widowed2.5%(82,085)
Divorced7.1%(237,286)
Women 15+
Never married28%(1,007,382)
Married52.2%(1,874,998)
Widowed10.2%(365,155)
Divorced9.6%(344,126)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
7.5%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 14.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
59.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 60.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 70.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
33.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 31.6% 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)22.9%(64,658)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.2%(54,444)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34%(96,109)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.2%(14,751)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(4,369)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 282,963 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
In this metro

Largest cities

ChicagoCENTRAL2,731,585Aurora181,505NapervilleCENTRAL153,114Joliet152,241ElginCENTRAL115,476Waukegan87,940Cicero81,858SchaumburgCENTRAL77,249EvanstonCENTRAL76,380Arlington Heights76,216Hammond75,712BolingbrookCENTRAL74,803Gary67,289SkokieCENTRAL66,544Palatine65,842Des PlainesCENTRAL58,772Orland Park57,954Oak Lawn56,450Mount Prospect55,395Tinley Park55,140Berwyn55,001Wheaton54,065Oak Park52,823Hoffman Estates50,858Downers GroveCENTRAL50,365Plainfield50,043Glenview47,711Elmhurst46,111Lombard44,399Buffalo Grove42,812

The 30 most populous of 400 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

13 component counties

Cook CountyCENTRAL5,194,625DuPage CountyCENTRAL934,298Lake CountyCENTRAL719,339Will CountyCENTRAL712,253Kane CountyCENTRAL525,757Lake CountyCENTRAL504,612McHenry CountyCENTRAL317,751Porter CountyCENTRAL176,049Kendall CountyCENTRAL145,470DeKalb County101,835Grundy County54,052Jasper County33,894Newton County14,188
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Chicago

Dallas
Pop 8,477,157
Houston
Pop 7,904,627
Atlanta
Pop 6,482,182
Los Angeles
Pop 12,844,441
Places similar to Chicago
Head to head

Compare Chicago side by side

CHICAGO VS
Dallas
Income$92,044+78%
Home value$353,895+126%
Population8,477,157−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICAGO VS
Houston
Income$83,674+62%
Home value$297,128+90%
Population7,904,627−16%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICAGO VS
Atlanta
Income$91,036+76%
Home value$376,129+140%
Population6,482,182−31%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICAGO VS
Los Angeles
Income$96,499+86%
Home value$865,530+453%
Population12,844,441+36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has about 8,948,739 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The typical household in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN earns about $51,746 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN expensive?

In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, the median home is worth about $156,535, and the typical rent is about $671 a month.

How educated are people in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

About 29.1% of adults age 25 and over in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

About 10.5% of people in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN grown since 1990?

Yes, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has grown since 1990. The population has added about 894,844 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →