Cook County, IL

County

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2022 Population

5.23M

0.76% 1-year decline

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2022 Median Age

37.5

0.536% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

13.4%

0.784% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$78,304

8.57% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$293,700

10.1% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

2.6M

0.121% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Cook County, IL had a population of 5.23M people with a median age of 37.5 and a median household income of $78,304. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Cook County, IL declined from 5.27M to 5.23M, a −0.76% decrease and its median household income grew from $72,121 to $78,304, a 8.57% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Cook County, IL are White (Non-Hispanic) (41.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (22.4%), Other (Hispanic) (10.2%), White (Hispanic) (8.28%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (7.63%).

None of the households in Cook County, IL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90.2% of the residents in Cook County, IL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cook County, IL are Northwestern University (9,725 degrees awarded in 2022), University of Illinois Chicago (8,607 degrees), and University of Chicago (7,328 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Cook County, IL was $293,700, and the homeownership rate was 57.5%.

Most people in Cook County, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Cook County, IL was 2 cars per household.

Cook County, IL borders DuPage County, IL, Kane County, IL, Lake County, IL, McHenry County, IL, Will County, IL, Lake County, IN, Porter County, IN, and Berrien County, MI.

About the photo: Seen from an open window on the 92nd floor of the John Hancock Center in Chicago.

Photo by Roman Boed

United States Illinois Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Population & Diversity

Cook County, IL is home to a population of 5.23M people, from which 90.2% are citizens. As of 2022, 20.9% of Cook County, IL residents were born outside of the country (1.09M people).

In 2022, there were 1.83 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.15M people) in Cook County, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.17M Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 531k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.2%

2022 Citizenship

90.1%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 90.2% of Cook County, IL residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Cook County, IL was 90.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cook County, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cook County, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.15M ± 2.15k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.17M ± 3.17k
Other (Hispanic)
531k ± 10.4k

25.9%

Hispanic Population

1.35M people

25.9% of the people in Cook County, IL are hispanic (1.35M people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Cook County, IL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Illinois.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
622,347 ± 18,890 people
India
165,336 ± 9,918 people
Poland
123,006 ± 8,569 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 622,347 Illinois residents, followed by India with 165,336 and Poland with 123,006.

Foreign-Born Population

20.9%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.09M people

20.9%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

1.1M people

As of 2022, 20.9% of Cook County, IL residents (1.09M people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cook County, IL was 20.9%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cook County, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
47,912 ± 1,623
Gulf War (2001-)
27,882 ± 1,569
Gulf War (1990s)
17,312 ± 1,190

Cook County, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.72 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Cook County, IL employs 2.6M people. The largest industries in Cook County, IL are Health Care & Social Assistance (358,958 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (286,892 people), and Educational Services (247,912 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($103,393), Utilities ($93,185), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($88,223).

Males in Illinois have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $66,581. The income inequality in Illinois (measured using the Gini index) is 0.477, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

2.6M

2022 Value

± 13,993

−0.121%

1 Year decline

± 0.75%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Cook County, IL declined at a rate of −0.121%, from 2.6M employees to 2.6M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cook County, IL, are Management Occupations (299,551 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (271,597 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (240,810 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cook County, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.6M

2022 Value

± 13,993

−0.121%

1 Year decline

± 0.75%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Cook County, IL declined at a rate of −0.121%, from 2.6M employees to 2.6M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cook County, IL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (358,958 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (286,892 people), and Educational Services (247,912 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cook County, IL, though some of these residents may live in Cook County, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,054

Median earning men ± $434

$45,067

Median earning women ± $346

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($96,906), Public Administration ($92,294), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($80,808).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($67,694), Public Administration ($67,475), and Information ($61,881).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Y-Axis

2.47%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Illinois.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

13,753
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
8,467
Construction
8,283
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$34.5M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$30.2M
Finance and Insurance
$23M
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Cook County, IL went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 74.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (24%), followed by Other (0.844%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (74.3%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (24%)
Republican Party
Other (0.844%)
Green and Other Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Cook County, IL went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 74.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (24%), followed by Other (0.844%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Cook County, IL for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Dick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Tammy Duckworth

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Illinois

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Illinois have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Cook County, IL awarded 82,638 degrees. The student population of Cook County, IL in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 111,490 male students and 158,955 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cook County, IL are White (33,207 and 44.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18,276 and 24.3%), Black or African American (9,617 and 12.8%), and Asian (8,393 and 11.2%).

The largest universities in Cook County, IL by number of degrees awarded are Northwestern University (9,725 and 11.8%), University of Illinois Chicago (8,607 and 10.4%), and University of Chicago (7,328 and 8.87%).

The most popular majors in Cook County, IL are Liberal Arts & Sciences (7,711 and 9.33%), Management Science (3,460 and 4.19%), and General Business Administration & Management (2,333 and 2.82%).

The median tuition costs in Cook County, IL are $31,692 for private four year colleges, and $10,091 and $20,182 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Cook County, IL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 51.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 270,445 (41.2% men and 58.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 270,445 students enrolled in Cook County, IL, 41.2% men and 58.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 88,854 records, of which 57.9% were women and 42.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
1,416 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
1,298 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
1,040 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Cook County, IL was General Psychology with 1,416 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Cook County, IL according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Northwestern University
9,725 degrees awarded
University of Illinois Chicago
8,607 degrees awarded
University of Chicago
7,328 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Northwestern University with 9,725 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 33,702 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cook County, IL, which is 0.689 times less than the 48,936 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 33,207 degrees mean that there were 1.82 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 18,276 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($31,692) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,076) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,920) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Measure

In 2022, 1.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.01% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.62M), Some college (2.15M), and Bachelors Degree (2.1M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cook County, IL was $293,700 in 2022, which is 1.04 times larger than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $266,800 to $293,700, a 10.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Cook County, IL is 57.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Cook County, IL have an average commute time of 32.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cook County, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Cook County, IL is $78,304. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Cook County, IL was Census Tract 706 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 8001 and Census Tract 8003, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

In 2023, 20.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cook County, IL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.28%.

Housing

Property

$293,700

Median Property Value 2022

±$1,384

$1.19M

Median Property Taxes

±$8,772

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cook County, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cook County, IL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

57.5%

Homeownership

2022

62.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 57.5% of the housing units in Cook County, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 57.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cook County, IL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 706
Census Tract 8001
Census Tract 8003

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Cook County, IL was Census Tract 706 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 8001 and Census Tract 8003, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Cook County, IL colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$78,304

Median Household Income

± $571

2.07M

Number of Households

± 12,432

In 2022, the median household income of the 2.07M households in Cook County, IL grew to $78,304 from the previous year's value of $72,121.

The following chart displays the households in Cook County, IL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cook County, IL is from Illinois.

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.478

2021 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2022, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.477 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.371% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Illinois across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (57.4%)
Public Transit (14.3%)
Worked At Home (14.2%)

In 2022, 57.4% of workers in Cook County, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who used public transit to get to work (14.3%) and those who worked at home (14.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

32.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cook County, IL have a longer commute time (32.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.9% of the workforce in Cook County, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cook County, IL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cook County, IL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cook County, IL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 20.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cook County, IL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.28%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

13.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cook County, IL (688k out of 5.14M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cook County, IL is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 18.9% of the children was living in poverty in Cook County, IL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 7.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91% of the population of Cook County, IL has health coverage, with 51.1% on employee plans, 19% on Medicaid, 11.4% on Medicare, 8.98% on non-group plans, and 0.578% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cook County, IL see 1040 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.574% decrease from the previous year (1046 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1048 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 294 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,040 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cook County, IL

Primary care physicians in Cook County, IL see an average of 1,040 patients per year. This represents a 0.574% decrease from the previous year (1,046 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cook County, IL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 23.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.01%

Uninsured

51.1%

Employer Coverage

19%

Medicaid

11.4%

Medicare

8.98%

Non-Group

0.578%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cook County, IL grew by 0.421% from 8.97% to 9.01%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cook County, IL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 52.9 in Cook County, IL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cook County, IL.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 29.9% in Cook County, IL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cook County, IL.