Illinois Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Illinois, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Illinois. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Illinois. The estimated population of Illinois is 12,821,813 people, with a median age of 38.5.

We can look at the total population in Illinois over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
12,821,813
+0.83%
-0.25%
2020
12,716,164
 -0.43% -
2019
12,770,631
 -0.4% -
2018
12,821,497
 -0.26% -
2017
12,854,526
 - -

Population of Illinois by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
60.2%
61.9%
 -2.75%
Black/African American
13.8%
14.1%
 -2.13%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
17.5%
16.8%
 +4.17%
Asian
5.6%
5.2%
 +7.69%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.4%
1.8%
 +33.33%
Other
0.3%
0.1%
 +200.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Illinois by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 38.5 +0.52% 37.4 +1.08% 39.5 -0.25%
2020 38.3 +0.52% 37 +0.54% 39.6 +0.51%
2019 38.1 +0.53% 36.8 +0.55% 39.4 +0.51%
2018 37.9 +0.53% 36.6 +0.55% 39.2 +0.77%
2017 37.7 - 36.4 - 38.9 -

The median age of Illinois gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 818,193 -4.85% 782,861 -4.53% 779,153 747,862
10 to 19 866,428 +0.25% 832,487 -0.5% 868,228 828,231
20 to 29 905,379 -4.43% 878,195 -3.47% 865,846 848,102
30 to 39 862,876 +1.29% 863,124 -0.27% 873,953 860,629
40 to 49 830,442 -1.72% 838,385 -3.37% 815,873 810,432
50 to 59 861,040 -2% 900,483 -5.36% 843,715 853,154
60 to 69 651,638 +9.29% 716,160 +7.48% 714,151 771,245
70+ 516,604 +10.19% 730,231 +5.36% 571,257 769,982

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Illinois is $72,563.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Illinois.

  • Under 25
    $34,424.00
  • 25 to 44
    $80,059.00
  • 45 to 64
    $87,986.00
  • 65 and over
    $51,237.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Illinois, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Illinois, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Illinois is currently $100,719.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

10.11% of households in Illinois are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Illinois against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    16.80%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    18.42%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.26%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.86%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.06%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    8.49%
  • $200,000 or more
    10.11%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Illinois is $39,571.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Illinois by the total population of Illinois.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Illinois, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Illinois to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    16.77%
  • Bachelor's degree
    34.82%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.64%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    34.82%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.94%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Illinois that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Illinois over the age of 16 is 10,275,978.

Of those people, a total of 65.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Illinois is 61.00%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 677,639 40.50% 17.30%
20 to 24 years 833,461 75.40% 11.30%
25 to 29 years 880,487 84.40% 7.00%
30 to 34 years 871,055 85.40% 5.50%
35 to 44 years 1,676,721 85.00% 4.90%
45 to 54 years 1,640,483 83.10% 4.60%
55 to 59 years 869,497 75.80% 4.70%
60 to 64 years 813,900 59.80% 4.80%
65 to 74 years 1,190,287 27.20% 4.30%
75 years and over 822,448 6.80% 3.50%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Illinois. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 7,143,747 65.10% 4.80%
Black or African American 1,414,149 60.90% 13.70%
American Indian and Alaska Native 33,173 67.10% 7.50%
Asian 596,678 67.00% 4.30%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 4,172 71.30% 2.80%
Other 594,170 71.10% 6.10%
Two or more races 489,889 70.30% 8.10%
Hispanic or Latino 1,622,022 70.80% 6.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 6,447,268 64.50% 4.60%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Illinois as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Illinois is 6,273,473, with median earnings of $44,048.00.

Women in Illinois earning approximately 69.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 6,273,473 $44,048.00
Male 3,285,186 $52,732.00
Female 2,988,287 $36,830.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 684,732 $83,695.00
Business and Financial 398,041 $73,084.00
Computer and Mathematical 213,989 $88,192.00
Architecture and Engineering 112,191 $83,928.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 56,465 $64,662.00
Community and Social Service 107,059 $45,673.00
Legal 83,732 $100,375.00
Educational and Library 390,177 $45,877.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 119,640 $43,877.00
Healthcare Practitioners 389,167 $63,025.00
Healthcare Support 200,900 $24,209.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 77,183 $33,949.00
Law Enforcement 62,625 $79,458.00
Food Preparation and Serving 324,587 $16,193.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 205,592 $25,543.00
Personal Care and Service 168,081 $18,118.00
Sales 613,363 $36,836.00
Office and Administrative Support 696,766 $36,366.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 19,157 $30,903.00
Construction and Extraction 258,273 $49,944.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 173,090 $52,107.00
Production 382,655 $39,118.00
Transportation and Material Moving 267,100 $41,999.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 403,879 $95,411.00 280,853 $69,746.00
Business and Financial 187,089 $83,139.00 210,952 $65,093.00
Computer and Mathematical 159,351 $92,073.00 54,638 $77,099.00
Architecture and Engineering 94,503 $85,763.00 17,688 $73,220.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 29,652 $68,213.00 26,813 $59,558.00
Community and Social Service 35,518 $45,682.00 71,541 $45,669.00
Legal 42,393 $135,454.00 41,339 $74,351.00
Educational and Library 107,807 $55,187.00 282,370 $43,014.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 59,240 $49,261.00 60,400 $39,014.00
Healthcare Practitioners 91,122 $79,131.00 298,045 $59,555.00
Healthcare Support 27,070 $25,519.00 173,830 $23,992.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 54,579 $41,290.00 22,604 $22,064.00
Law Enforcement 50,773 $80,120.00 11,852 $74,638.00
Food Preparation and Serving 148,851 $18,620.00 175,736 $14,748.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 128,165 $29,490.00 77,427 $20,601.00
Personal Care and Service 37,740 $22,333.00 130,341 $17,284.00
Sales 312,989 $53,520.00 300,374 $24,492.00
Office and Administrative Support 180,770 $40,893.00 515,996 $34,985.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 15,476 $33,270.00 3,681 $21,490.00
Construction and Extraction 250,216 $50,175.00 8,057 $39,464.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 166,666 $52,584.00 6,424 $38,250.00
Production 274,557 $43,936.00 108,098 $28,621.00
Transportation and Material Moving 227,482 $44,168.00 39,618 $28,207.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 4,930,255 households in Illinois, with an average household size of 2.54 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 3,131,678 families in Illinois with an average family size of 3.21 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 2,306,333 230,737 594,608 1,798,577
Average Household Size 3.26 3.34 3.4 1.24
Total Families 2,306,333 230,737 594,608 0
Average Household Size 3.24 2.96 3.2 0

Poverty

Of the 3,131,678 families in Illinois, 8.30% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Illinois:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 5,412,995 housing units in Illinois.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 4,930,255 91.08%
Vacant 482,740 8.92%

29.21% of the total 5,412,995 housing units in Illinois are rental units. This is approximately 1,581,403 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,279,322 are occupied by the owner - or 60.58% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Illinois is $1,097.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Illinois that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    69,530
  • Less than $500
    144,444
  • $500 to $999
    527,003
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    503,717
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    238,426
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    96,808
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    37,527
  • $3,000 or more
    33,478

Property Value

The median value of a property in Illinois is $212,600.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Illinois that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    192,095
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    403,882
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    444,981
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    496,767
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    747,742
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    663,366
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    268,376
  • $1,000,000 or more
    62,113

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Illinois. The chart below shows the number of properties in Illinois that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    1,129,822
  • 1940 to 1949
    325,189
  • 1950 to 1959
    673,676
  • 1960 to 1969
    620,401
  • 1970 to 1979
    779,081
  • 1980 to 1989
    492,147
  • 1990 to 1999
    600,485
  • 2000 to 2009
    589,438
  • 2010 to 2013
    199,030
  • 2014 or later
    3,726

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Illinois that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    526,288
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,713,317
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,771,976
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    918,674

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Illinois get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Illinois that commute to work in a particular way.

28.7 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Illinois.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    160,342
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    504,531
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    662,974
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    728,062
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    696,113
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    358,602
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    782,166
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    201,647
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    269,362
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    579,456
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    455,818
  • 90 or more minutes
    154,991

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Illinois in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Illinois

We have data for 102 counties in Illinois. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Illinois

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Illinois, click on the links below.