Kankakee County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kankakee County, 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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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in Illinois
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Kankakee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 106,635 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 156.6 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.55% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 40,996 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kankakee County declined by 4.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 106,635 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kankakee County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.2% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 23,714 22.2% +1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 20,870 19.6% -2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 21,281 20.0% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 19,079 17.9% +1.0 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 50.9% of the people living in Kankakee County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.1% Illinois 49.4%
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100% of everyone living in Kankakee County
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Economy
Kankakee County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Kankakee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,136 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.40% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kankakee County is about 14% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Kankakee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $136,128 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,096 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kankakee County is about 10.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,096 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kankakee County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 167 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kankakee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.1 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 167 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,173 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,653 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,336 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Illinois:
Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Kankakee County is 20 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
Kankakee County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Kankakee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.8% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.4), Champaign County (0.4), Lake County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hardin County (0.2), Fayette County (0.2), Perry County (0.2).
Health
Kankakee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Kankakee County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.1% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.9% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.8), Champaign County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8).
Lowest:
Alexander County (0.8), Pulaski County (0.8), Gallatin County (0.8).
Kankakee County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Kankakee County, IL is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 106,635 residents against a local median of 275,757. Where Kankakee County, IL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 25% above the local median of $109,081 at $136,128.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.0 min against a local median of 23.6 min, 15% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 15% below the local median it puts Kankakee County, IL at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $117,874 on median home price, so Kankakee County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Kankakee County, IL has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee County, IL | 106,635 | $72,136 #3/5 | $136,128 #2/5 | 20.0 min #1/5 |
| Will County, IL | 701,595 | $109,769 | $214,302 | 28.2 min |
| Iroquois County, IL | 26,449 | $66,798 | $96,428 | 20.2 min |
| Grundy County, IL | 53,223 | $92,779 | $110,688 | 23.4 min |
| Lake County, IN | 498,291 | $71,540 | $107,473 | 23.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kankakee County, Illinois.
How many people live in Kankakee County, Illinois?
About 106,635 people live in Kankakee County, Illinois, in 40,996 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Kankakee County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Kankakee County, Illinois has 157 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Kankakee County, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($136,128 against $72,136), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,096 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Kankakee County, Illinois?
18.8% of adults in Kankakee County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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