Waukegan, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Waukegan, 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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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Waukegan | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 86,567 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3531.2 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.20% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 30,679 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Waukegan declined by 1.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 86,567 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Waukegan is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.2% of residents. That is 4.0 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 21,855 25.2% +4.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 19,301 22.3% +0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 17,325 20.0% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,170 11.7% -5.2 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 49.3% of the people living in Waukegan and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 50.7% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Waukegan has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Waukegan | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,030 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.34% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Waukegan is about 15% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Waukegan | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $255,219 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,203 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 52.5% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Waukegan is about 17.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,203 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Waukegan spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 194 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Waukegan | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.5 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 194 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,000 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 16,430 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,221 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Waukegan 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
Waukegan has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Waukegan | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.77 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Waukegan has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Waukegan | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Waukegan, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Waukegan, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan, IL | 86,567 | $71,030 #2/3 | $255,219 #2/3 | 23.2 min #2/3 |
| North Chicago, IL | 25,553 | $59,799 | $157,844 | 16.5 min |
| Gurnee, IL | 23,970 | $116,909 | $450,867 | 23.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Waukegan, Illinois.
What is the population of Waukegan, Illinois?
About 86,567 people live in Waukegan, Illinois, in 30,679 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Waukegan, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Waukegan, Illinois has 3,531 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 41 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Waukegan, Illinois?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($255,219 against $71,030), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,203 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Waukegan, Illinois?
Unemployment in Waukegan, Illinois is 6.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Waukegan, Illinois?
17.8% of adults in Waukegan, 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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