Carol Stream, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carol Stream, 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 Above average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Carol Stream | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,373 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3949.9 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.33% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.3 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,643 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carol Stream declined by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 37,373 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carol Stream is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,210 22.0% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,128 21.7% -0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,559 22.9% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,639 15.1% -1.8 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 50.7% of the people living in Carol Stream and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.3% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Carol Stream has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Carol Stream | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $103,218 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.63% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carol Stream is about 23% higher than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Carol Stream | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $330,874 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,604 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.1% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carol Stream is about 17.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,604 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carol Stream spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carol Stream | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.7 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,161 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.3% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,663 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Carol Stream is about the same as 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
Carol Stream has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Carol Stream | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.4% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.73 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Carol Stream has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Carol Stream | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.8% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.1% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Carol Stream, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
Carol Stream, IL is the 2nd largest of the 5 cities compared here, 37,373 residents against a local median of 27,432. Carol Stream, IL's median home price, at $330,874, runs 53% above the $216,143 typical of the cities around it.
The cities themselves spread $150,477 on median home price, so Carol Stream, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carol Stream, IL has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carol Stream, IL | 37,373 | $103,218 #2/5 | $330,874 #1/5 | 23.8 min #3/5 |
| Bloomingdale, IL | 24,204 | $100,481 | $117,477 | 25.7 min |
| Glendale Heights, IL | 22,861 | $99,154 | $231,252 | 22.9 min |
| Hanover Park, IL | 30,659 | $93,488 | $267,954 | 25.2 min |
| Wheaton, IL | 46,899 | $117,910 | $201,033 | 20.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carol Stream, Illinois.
How big is Carol Stream, Illinois by population?
About 37,373 people live in Carol Stream, Illinois, in 13,643 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Carol Stream, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Carol Stream, Illinois has 3,950 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 46 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Carol Stream, Illinois?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($330,874 against $103,218), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,604 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Carol Stream, Illinois?
Unemployment in Carol Stream, Illinois is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Carol Stream, Illinois?
41.4% of adults in Carol Stream, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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