Highland Park, Illinois Income Statistics

Updated

Highland Park Wealth Score

The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.

  • A+
    Highland Park Top grade

Source: Map AI Methodology

Income Statistics Overview

See income data visualized

Metric Highland Park Illinois Avg US Average
Median Household Income $181,844 $84,042 $80,455
Median Personal Income $120,522 $64,565 $60,758
Average Yearly Income Growth 4.8% 4.5% 4.8%
Six-Figure Earners 38.1% 15.0% 13.9%
$200k+ Households 45.8% 13.8% 13.2%

The median household income in Highland Park is about 116% higher than in Illinois. Income has been growing faster in Highland Park (4.8%/yr) than in Illinois (4.5%/yr).

About 38% of adults in Highland Park earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, higher than the Illinois average of 15%.

Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend

Median Household Income Over Time

Highland Park
United States

Median household income in Highland Park, Illinois grew by 63.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $181,844 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.8% per year.

Highland Park has been far above the U.S. median household income in every year from 2009 to 2024. Even at its closest, in 2013, its income was 113% higher. The gap has widened from 117% in 2009 to 126% in 2024.

Year Highland Park United States

Income Distribution in Highland Park

How incomes are spread across brackets, compared with the U.S. Pick a range to count who falls in it.

Households by income, 2024

Highland Park
United States

Income range calculator

About 7,419 households (71.6% of all households) have an income of $100,000 or more.

Across the U.S.: 40.2% of all households.

In 2024, 12.0% of households in Highland Park had an income under $35,000 and 57.3% had $150,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 21.6% and 22.8%.

Compared with the U.S., Highland Park has a larger share of households earning $200,000 or more (45.8% vs 13.2%) and a smaller share earning $50,000 to $74,999 (6.2% vs 15.5%).

Household income Households Share U.S. share
Under $10,000 300 2.9% 5.1%
$10,000 to $14,999 168 1.6% 3.5%
$15,000 to $24,999 272 2.6% 6.4%
$25,000 to $34,999 504 4.9% 6.7%
$35,000 to $49,999 460 4.4% 10.1%
$50,000 to $74,999 638 6.2% 15.5%
$75,000 to $99,999 602 5.8% 12.6%
$100,000 to $149,999 1,477 14.3% 17.4%
$150,000 to $199,999 1,194 11.5% 9.5%
$200,000 or more 4,748 45.8% 13.2%

Shares are of all 10,364 households, one per occupied home whatever its size. Households with zero or negative income are counted in the lowest bracket. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19001).

Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Highland Park

Metric Highland Park Illinois Avg US Average
Gini Coefficient 0.482 0.547 0.552
Male Median Income $132,000 $73,933 $69,667
Female Median Income $103,488 $60,067 $56,850
Gender Pay Gap 21.6% 18.8% 18.4%

The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Highland Park, it is 0.482, lower than Illinois's 0.547, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.

Men's income is about 28% more than women's income in Highland Park, Illinois. Over a 35-year career, a 28% wage gap accumulates to roughly $997,920 in unearned income for female workers in the area.

Income by Sex Over Time

Male
Female

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Highland Park, Illinois has narrowed from about 49% to 22% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 21% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $25,023 since 2009.

Year Male Income Female Income Gap %

Employment

Metric Highland Park Illinois Avg US Average
Unemployment Rate 3.3% 5.8% 5.2%
Working from Home 26.4% 15.9% 15.0%
Commute time (minutes) 22 23 22

Approximately 449 people are unemployed in Highland Park, Illinois.

The average commute time in Highland Park is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Illinois.

Unemployment Rate Over Time

Highland Park
United States

Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Highland Park, Illinois has fallen from 5.5% to 3.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 6.1% in 2013.

Highland Park has stayed well below the U.S. unemployment rate in every year from 2011 to 2024 and has never risen above it. It came closest in 2020, at 1.3 points lower. The gap has narrowed from 3.2 points in 2011 to 2.0 points in 2024.

Year Highland Park United States

Highland Park, IL Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities

How Highland Park, IL compares with the 1 cities closest to it.

Area Population Median household income Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. Unemployment Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here.
Highland Park, IL 26,861 $181,844 #1/2 4.8%/yr #1/2 3.3% #2/2 0.482 #1/2
Northbrook, IL 32,185 $153,635 3.6%/yr 3.1% 0.512

Conclusion

Considering all these factors, Highland Park, Illinois has an overall wealth index grade of A+, making it far better than Illinois, and far better than the country as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about income and wealth in Highland Park, Illinois.

How Rich Is Highland Park, Illinois?

Highland Park has a wealth index grade of A+. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; an A+ grade means it is one of the most prosperous areas in the country. The median household income is $181,844, about 116% higher than the Illinois average of $84,042.

How has median household income changed in Highland Park, Illinois?

Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Highland Park, Illinois rose 64%, from $111,093 to $181,844. Over the same years, income here outpaced Illinois as a whole: +64% against +52%.

What was the median household income in Highland Park in 2023?

In 2023, the median household income in Highland Park, Illinois was $166,711, up 3% from $161,626 in 2022. The Illinois median that year was $82,182.

What was the median household income in Highland Park in 2020?

In 2020, the median household income in Highland Park, Illinois was $148,818. By 2024 it had risen 22% to $181,844.

Do many residents of Highland Park, Illinois earn over $100,000?

Yes. 38% of adults in Highland Park, Illinois earn $100,000 or more a year (about 1 in 3), against 15% (about 1 in 7) in Illinois. 46% of households have a combined income of $200,000 or more, compared with 14% in Illinois.

Is it hard to find a job in Highland Park, Illinois?

Unemployment in Highland Park, Illinois is only 3.3%, well below the Illinois rate of 5.8%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.

What is the Gini coefficient in Highland Park, Illinois?

The Gini coefficient in Highland Park is 0.482. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.

How has the income gap between men and women changed in Highland Park, Illinois?

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Highland Park, Illinois has narrowed from about 49% to 22% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 21% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $25,023 since 2009.

Check income around your own address

Median household income, income brackets, poverty and education within 1, 3 and 5 miles of any US address, next to the county and state. Free on the map, or as a 7-page PDF report.

Get Your Demographic Report →