North Chicago, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
North Chicago, 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 | North Chicago | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,553 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3187.9 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.76% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 22.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,419 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in North Chicago declined by 11.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,553 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in North Chicago is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 43.6% of residents. That is 22.3 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,135 43.6% +22.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,784 18.7% -3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,068 12.0% -8.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,967 7.7% -9.2 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 42.8% of the people living in North Chicago and men 57.2%.
- Women 42.8% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 57.2% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in North Chicago
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Economy
North Chicago has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | North Chicago | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,799 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.82% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in North Chicago is about 29% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | North Chicago | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $157,844 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,373 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 35.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in North Chicago is about 9.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,373 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in North Chicago spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 137 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | North Chicago | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.5 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.9 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 137 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,250 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.7% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,315 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,588 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in North Chicago is 16 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
North Chicago has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | North Chicago | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.6% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.79 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
North Chicago has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | North Chicago | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.0% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.9% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
North Chicago, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How North Chicago, IL compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Chicago, IL | 25,553 | $59,799 #2/2 | $157,844 #2/2 | 16.5 min #1/2 |
| Waukegan, IL | 86,567 | $71,030 | $255,219 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about North Chicago, Illinois.
How big is North Chicago, Illinois by population?
About 25,553 people live in North Chicago, Illinois, in 6,419 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 22.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
Is North Chicago, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, North Chicago, Illinois has 3,188 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 37 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in North Chicago, Illinois?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($157,844 against $59,799), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,373 a month takes about 28% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in North Chicago, Illinois have a college degree?
15.6% of adults in North Chicago, 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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