Highland Park, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Highland Park, 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.
-
A+
Health Top grade
-
A+
Income Top grade
-
A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Highland Park | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,861 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2189.8 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.26% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 44.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,364 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Highland Park declined by 3.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,861 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Highland Park is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.4% of residents. That is 5.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,708 13.8% -7.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,610 17.2% -4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,902 22.0% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,023 22.4% +5.5 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 51.6% of the people living in Highland Park and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.4% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Highland Park
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Highland Park has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Highland Park | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $181,844 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.77% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Highland Park is about 116% higher than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Highland Park | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $337,081 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,837 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.7% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Highland Park is about 15.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,837 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Highland Park spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Highland Park | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.6 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.2 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,843 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 26.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,233 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,845 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Highland Park 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
Highland Park has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Highland Park | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 73.0% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Highland Park has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Highland Park | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.2 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.7% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.2% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highland Park, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Highland Park, IL compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park, IL | 26,861 | $181,844 #1/2 | $337,081 #2/2 | 22.6 min #1/2 |
| Northbrook, IL | 32,185 | $153,635 | $764,513 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Highland Park, Illinois.
How big is Highland Park, Illinois by population?
About 26,861 people live in Highland Park, Illinois, in 10,364 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 44.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Highland Park, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Highland Park, Illinois has 2,190 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 25 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Highland Park, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($337,081 against $181,844), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,837 a month takes about 12% 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 Highland Park, Illinois?
Unemployment in Highland Park, Illinois is only 3.3%, 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 Highland Park, Illinois have a college degree?
73.0% of adults in Highland Park, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →