Buffalo Grove, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Buffalo Grove, IL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Buffalo Grove | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,064 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3762.5 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.58% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,459 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Buffalo Grove grew by 1.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,064 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Buffalo Grove is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 25.2% of residents. That is 4.8 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,157 17.1% -4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,800 21.6% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,073 25.2% +4.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,983 16.6% -0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Illinois, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Buffalo Grove and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.5% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Buffalo Grove has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Buffalo Grove | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $132,647 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.44% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Buffalo Grove is about 58% higher than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Buffalo Grove | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $217,650 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,017 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.5% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Buffalo Grove is about 9.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,017 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Buffalo Grove spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Buffalo Grove | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.3 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.7 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,030 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 30.8% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 21,501 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,967 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Buffalo Grove is 23 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Buffalo Grove has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Buffalo Grove | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61.0% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.66 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Buffalo Grove has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Buffalo Grove | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.3% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.9% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Buffalo Grove, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Buffalo Grove, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Grove, IL | 36,064 | $132,647 #2/3 | $217,650 #3/3 | 23.3 min #2/3 |
| Wheeling, IL | 35,608 | $86,844 | $229,587 | 22.4 min |
| Vernon Hills, IL | 22,177 | $134,343 | $1,079,282 | 25.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
How many people live in Buffalo Grove, Illinois?
About 36,064 people live in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, in 13,459 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 43.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Buffalo Grove, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Buffalo Grove, Illinois has 3,762 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 44 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Buffalo Grove, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($217,650 against $132,647), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $2,017 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Buffalo Grove, Illinois?
Unemployment in Buffalo Grove, Illinois is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Buffalo Grove, Illinois have a college degree?
61.0% of adults in Buffalo Grove, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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