Chicago Heights, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chicago Heights, 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Chicago Heights | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,820 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2583.7 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.18% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,227 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chicago Heights declined by 12.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,820 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chicago Heights is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.9% of residents. That is 2.7 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,419 23.9% +2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,295 19.7% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,242 19.5% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,689 13.8% -3.2 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 51.9% of the people living in Chicago Heights and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.1% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Chicago Heights has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Chicago Heights | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,657 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.12% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 13.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chicago Heights is about 31% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Chicago Heights | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $161,857 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,088 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chicago Heights is about 12.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,088 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chicago Heights spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 198 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chicago Heights | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.6 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 198 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,149 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.7% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 22,699 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,133 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Chicago Heights 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
Chicago Heights has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Chicago Heights | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.1% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.83 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Chicago Heights has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Chicago Heights | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.9% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.1% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chicago Heights, Illinois.
How many people live in Chicago Heights, Illinois?
About 26,820 people live in Chicago Heights, Illinois, in 9,227 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 37.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Chicago Heights, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chicago Heights, Illinois has 2,584 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 30 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Chicago Heights, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($161,857 against $57,657), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,088 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Chicago Heights, Illinois?
Unemployment in Chicago Heights, Illinois is 13.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Chicago Heights, Illinois?
18.1% of adults in Chicago Heights, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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