River Forest, IL

Census Place

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2024 Population

11,992

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

0.249% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

2.73%

24.8% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$146,786

1.29% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$687,300

1.54% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

5,436

5.19% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in River Forest, 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.

95.7% of the residents in River Forest, IL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in River Forest, IL are Concordia University-Chicago (1,645 degrees awarded in 2023) and Dominican University (854 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in River Forest, IL was $687,300, and the homeownership rate was 87.7%.

Most people in River Forest, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.5 minutes. The average car ownership in River Forest, IL was 2 cars per household.

United States Illinois Cook County, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Cook County (West)--Leyden & Norwood Park Townships PUMA, IL Cook County (West)--Proviso Township (North & West) PUMA, IL Cook County (West)--Oak Park, Riverside, River Forest & Proviso (Southeast) Townships PUMA, IL

Population & Diversity

River Forest, IL is home to a population of 12k people, from which 95.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 12.5% of River Forest, IL residents were born outside of the country (1.5k people).

In 2024, there were 14.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (9.33k people) in River Forest, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 659 Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 586 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.7%

2024 Citizenship

96.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.7% of River Forest, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in River Forest, IL was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in River Forest, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
9.33k ± 539
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
659 ± 254
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
586 ± 282

6.88%

Hispanic Population

825 people

6.88% of the people in River Forest, IL are hispanic (825 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in River Forest, IL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
633,244 ± 19,044 people
India
161,770 ± 9,812 people
Poland
119,556 ± 8,449 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 633,244 Illinois residents, followed by India with 161,770 and Poland with 119,556.

Foreign-Born Population

12.5%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.5k people

12.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.43k people

As of 2024, 12.5% of River Forest, IL residents (1.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in River Forest, IL was 12.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
175 ± 105
Gulf War (2001-)
53 ± 53

River Forest, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.3 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in River Forest, IL.

Economy

The economy of River Forest, IL employs 5.44k people. In 2024, the largest industries in River Forest, IL were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,050 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (854 people), and Educational Services (817 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($233,935), Manufacturing ($205,764), and Finance & Insurance ($179,712).

Employment

Occupations

5.44k

2024 Value

± 627

5.19%

1 Year growth

± 15.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in River Forest, IL grew at a rate of 5.19%, from 5.17k employees to 5.44k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in River Forest, IL, are Management Occupations (1,032 people), Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (591 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (567 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of River Forest, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

5.44k

2024 Value

± 627

5.19%

1 Year growth

± 15.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in River Forest, IL grew at a rate of 5.19%, from 5.17k employees to 5.44k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in River Forest, IL, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,050 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (854 people), and Educational Services (817 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of River Forest, IL, though some of these residents may live in River Forest, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$126,845

Median earning men ± $51,077

$66,377

Median earning women ± $10,641

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($249,167), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($197,839), and Construction ($103,929).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($227,417), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($165,547), and Public Administration ($120,395).

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.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

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

Voting results are not available for River Forest, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.5%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.43%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Illinois for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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.

Education

In 2023, universities in River Forest, IL awarded 2,499 degrees. The student population of River Forest, IL in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,758 male students and 5,732 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in River Forest, IL are White (1,337 and 53.8%), Hispanic or Latino (657 and 26.4%), Black or African American (261 and 10.5%), and Asian (110 and 4.43%).

The largest universities in River Forest, IL by number of degrees awarded are Concordia University-Chicago (1,645 and 65.8%) and Dominican University (854 and 34.2%).

The most popular majors in River Forest, IL are General Educational Leadership & Administration (323 and 12.9%), Kinesiology & Exercise Science (242 and 9.68%), and General Business Administration & Management (144 and 5.76%).

The median tuition cost in River Forest, IL for private four year colleges is $36,197.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in River Forest, IL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 85.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 10.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 8,490 (32.5% men and 67.5% 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 2023 there were 8,490 students enrolled in River Forest, IL, 32.5% men and 67.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,618 records, of which 67.1% were women and 32.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Curriculum & Instruction
125 degrees awarded
General Educational Leadership & Administration
220 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
158 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in River Forest, IL was Curriculum & Instruction with 125 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in River Forest, IL according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Concordia University-Chicago
1,645 degrees awarded
Dominican University
854 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Concordia University-Chicago with 1,645 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 758 men were awarded degrees from institutions in River Forest, IL, which is 0.435 times less than the 1,741 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,337 degrees mean that there were 2.04 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 657 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 ($36,197) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($779) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in River Forest, IL was $687,300 in 2024, which is 2.07 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $676,900 to $687,300, a 1.54% increase. The homeownership rate in River Forest, IL is 87.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in River Forest, IL have an average commute time of 32.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in River Forest, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$687,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$64,272

$3,911

Median Property Taxes

±$421

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 River Forest, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

87.7%

Homeownership

2024

50.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 87.7% of the housing units in River Forest, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 89%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$146,786

Median Household Income

± $32,540

4.46k

Number of Households

± 567

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.46k households in River Forest, IL declined from $146,786 from the previous year's value of $148,711.

The following chart displays the households in River Forest, 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 River Forest, IL is from Illinois.

0.474

2023 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2023, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.554% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 2024

Drove Alone (41.8%)
Worked At Home (26.8%)
Public Transit (19.7%)

In 2024, 41.8% of workers in River Forest, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (26.8%) and those who used public transit to get to work (19.7%).

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

32.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in River Forest, IL have a longer commute time (32.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.48% of the workforce in River Forest, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

2.73% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in River Forest, IL (301 out of 11k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in River Forest, IL is White, followed by Black and Asian.

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.

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

97.1% of the population of River Forest, IL has health coverage, with 67.8% on employee plans, 3.73% on Medicaid, 15.9% on Medicare, 9.48% on non-group plans, and 0.242% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Illinois see 1,264 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,264 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1189 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 297 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.4% under 18 years, 16.8% between 18 and 34 years, 37% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.87%

Uninsured

67.8%

Employer Coverage

3.73%

Medicaid

15.9%

Medicare

9.48%

Non-Group

0.242%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in River Forest, IL grew by 29.2% from 2.22% to 2.87%.

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

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