Evanston, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Evanston, 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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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Evanston | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,656 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8672.0 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.16% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 28,285 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Evanston declined by 0.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 67,656 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Evanston is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.1% of residents. That is 3.9 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 17,005 25.1% +3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,655 20.2% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,410 19.8% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,813 16.0% -0.9 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 51.3% of the people living in Evanston and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.7% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Evanston has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Evanston | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $94,783 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.66% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Evanston is about 13% higher than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Evanston | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $315,872 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,760 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Evanston is about 15.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,760 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Evanston 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 | Evanston | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.9 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.8 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,171 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 28.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 32,696 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,712 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Evanston 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
Evanston has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Evanston | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.3% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Evanston has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Evanston | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.6 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.4% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.4% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Evanston, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Evanston, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evanston, IL | 67,656 | $94,783 #3/3 | $315,872 #3/3 | 23.9 min #1/3 |
| Wilmette, IL | 24,620 | $189,031 | $831,563 | 31.8 min |
| Skokie, IL | 65,951 | $96,867 | $605,908 | 25.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Evanston, Illinois.
What is the population of Evanston, Illinois?
About 67,656 people live in Evanston, Illinois, in 28,285 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 36.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Evanston, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Evanston, Illinois has 8,672 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 100 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Evanston, Illinois?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($315,872 against $94,783), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,760 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Evanston, Illinois?
59.3% of adults in Evanston, 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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