Wheaton, Illinois Income Statistics
Updated
Wheaton 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.
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A
Wheaton Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Wheaton | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $117,910 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $88,092 | $64,565 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.6% | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 23.5% | 15.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 25.4% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Wheaton is about 40% higher than in Illinois. Income has been growing slower in Wheaton (3.6%/yr) than in Illinois (4.5%/yr).
About 24% of adults in Wheaton 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
Median household income in Wheaton, Illinois grew by 39.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $117,910 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.6% per year.
Wheaton has been far above the U.S. median household income in every year from 2009 to 2024. The gap has narrowed from 65% in 2009 to 47% in 2024, the closest it has been.
Income Distribution in Wheaton
How incomes are spread across brackets, compared with the U.S. Pick a range to count who falls in it.
Households by income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 10,051 households (58.5% of all households) have an income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 40.2% of all households.
In 2024, 12.2% of households in Wheaton had an income under $35,000 and 37.8% had $150,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 21.6% and 22.8%.
Compared with the U.S., Wheaton has a larger share of households earning $200,000 or more (25.4% vs 13.2%) and a smaller share earning $50,000 to $74,999 (11.1% vs 15.5%).
| Household income | Households | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | 716 | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 218 | 1.3% | 3.5% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 484 | 2.8% | 6.4% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 687 | 4.0% | 6.7% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 1,084 | 6.3% | 10.1% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 1,914 | 11.1% | 15.5% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 2,042 | 11.9% | 12.6% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 3,553 | 20.7% | 17.4% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 2,133 | 12.4% | 9.5% |
| $200,000 or more | 4,365 | 25.4% | 13.2% |
Shares are of all 17,195 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).
Residents 15+ by personal income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 9,063 residents (23.5% of residents aged 15 and over) have a personal income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 13.9% of residents aged 15 and over.
That is 26.6% of residents who have any income.
In 2024, 11.7% of Wheaton residents aged 15 and over reported no personal income, 25.9% had some income but less than $25,000, and 32.6% had $75,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 12.8%, 28.7% and 22.0%.
Compared with the U.S., Wheaton has a larger share of residents earning $100,000 or more (23.5% vs 13.9%) and a smaller share earning $15,000 to $24,999 (6.5% vs 10.5%).
| Personal income | Residents | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| No income | 4,498 | 11.7% | 12.8% |
| $1 to $9,999 | 5,696 | 14.8% | 11.2% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 1,776 | 4.6% | 7.0% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 2,518 | 6.5% | 10.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 2,507 | 6.5% | 9.5% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 3,781 | 9.8% | 12.6% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 5,209 | 13.5% | 14.3% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 3,485 | 9.0% | 8.2% |
| $100,000 or more | 9,063 | 23.5% | 13.9% |
Shares are of the 38,532 residents aged 15 and over, the only people the Census Bureau asks about income, and include those who reported none. A share of the whole population would count children as people without income, while a share of earners alone would hide the 11.7% with no income; the calculator adds that second share whenever your range leaves out people with no income. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19325).
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Wheaton
| Metric | Wheaton | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.549 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $106,476 | $73,933 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $74,277 | $60,067 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 30.2% | 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 Wheaton, it is 0.549, about the same as Illinois's 0.547, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 43% more than women's income in Wheaton, Illinois. Over a 35-year career, a 43% wage gap accumulates to roughly $1,126,965 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Wheaton, Illinois has narrowed from about 38% to 30% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 30% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,392 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Wheaton | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.9% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 24.1% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 20 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 968 people are unemployed in Wheaton, Illinois.
The average commute time in Wheaton is 20 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Illinois.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Wheaton, Illinois has fallen from 6.6% to 3.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 7.9% in 2013 and fell as low as 3.4% in 2019.
Wheaton has stayed well below the U.S. unemployment rate in every year from 2011 to 2024 and has never risen above it. The gap has narrowed from 2.1 points in 2011 to 1.3 points in 2024, the closest it has been.
Wheaton, IL Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
Wheaton, IL is the largest of the 5 cities compared here, 46,899 residents against a local median of 24,948. The measure that sets Wheaton, IL apart most is unemployment: 3.9%, 18% below the local median of 4.8%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 3.6%/yr against a local median of 4.3%/yr, 16% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Wheaton, IL is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The cities themselves spread 1.5% on unemployment, so Wheaton, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wheaton, IL has the lowest unemployment of the 5 areas compared here.
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton, IL | 46,899 | $117,910 #2/5 | 3.6%/yr #5/5 | 3.9% #1/5 | 0.549 #5/5 |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | 27,036 | $132,070 | 4.1%/yr | 4.8% | 0.511 |
| Carol Stream, IL | 37,373 | $103,218 | 3.6%/yr | 4.0% | 0.531 |
| Lisle, IL | 22,476 | $104,405 | 4.5%/yr | 4.8% | 0.505 |
| Glendale Heights, IL | 22,861 | $99,154 | 5.8%/yr | 5.5% | 0.533 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wheaton, Illinois has an overall wealth index grade of A, making it somewhat better than Illinois, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Wheaton, Illinois.
How Rich Is Wheaton, Illinois?
Wheaton 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 residents are much better off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $117,910, about 40% higher than the Illinois average of $84,042.
Are incomes growing in Wheaton, Illinois?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Wheaton, Illinois rose 39%, from $84,524 to $117,910. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Illinois as a whole: +39% against +52%.
What was the median household income in Wheaton in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Wheaton, Illinois was $117,830, up 4% from $113,351 in 2022. The Illinois median that year was $82,182.
What was the median household income in Wheaton in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Wheaton, Illinois was $104,524. By 2024 it had risen 13% to $117,910.
How many people earn six figures in Wheaton, Illinois?
Yes. 24% of adults in Wheaton, Illinois earn $100,000 or more a year (about 1 in 4), against 15% (about 1 in 7) in Illinois. 25% of households have a combined income of $200,000 or more, compared with 14% in Illinois.
How strong is the job market in Wheaton, Illinois?
Unemployment in Wheaton, Illinois is only 3.9%, 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 Wheaton, Illinois?
The Gini coefficient in Wheaton is 0.549. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Wheaton, Illinois?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Wheaton, Illinois has narrowed from about 38% to 30% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 30% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,392 since 2009.
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