Pekin, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pekin, 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 average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Pekin | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,837 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1619.8 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.03% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,076 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pekin declined by 7.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,837 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pekin is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.2% of residents. That is 0.2 points below Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,383 20.1% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,271 19.6% -2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,415 20.2% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,315 19.8% +2.9 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 51.2% of the people living in Pekin and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.8% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Pekin has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Pekin | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,354 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.66% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pekin is about 27% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Pekin | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $79,007 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $793 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.8% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pekin is about 8.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $793 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pekin spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pekin | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.6 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,378 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,693 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,666 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Pekin is 21 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
Pekin has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pekin | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.6% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.17 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Pekin has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Pekin | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.4 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.6% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.8% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pekin, Illinois.
How many people live in Pekin, Illinois?
About 26,837 people live in Pekin, Illinois, in 12,076 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Pekin, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Pekin, Illinois has 1,620 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 19 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Pekin, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($79,007 against $61,354), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $793 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Pekin, Illinois?
17.6% of adults in Pekin, 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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