Wilmette, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wilmette, 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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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wilmette | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,620 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4548.9 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.11% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.1 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,149 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wilmette grew by 4.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,620 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wilmette is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 25.9% of residents. That is 5.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,928 16.0% -5.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,631 14.7% -7.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,376 25.9% +5.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,601 18.7% +1.8 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 50.2% of the people living in Wilmette and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.8% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Wilmette has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Wilmette | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $189,031 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.08% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wilmette is about 125% higher than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Wilmette | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $831,563 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,925 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wilmette is about 36.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,925 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wilmette spend about 64 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 265 hours, about 11.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wilmette | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 63.6 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 265 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,211 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 35.7% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 31,526 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,392 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wilmette is 32 minutes, longer 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
Wilmette has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Wilmette | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 79.1% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.68 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Wilmette has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Wilmette | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.9 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.5% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 7.0% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Wilmette, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Wilmette, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmette, IL | 24,620 | $189,031 #1/3 | $831,563 #1/3 | 31.8 min #3/3 |
| Skokie, IL | 65,951 | $96,867 | $605,908 | 25.1 min |
| Evanston, IL | 67,656 | $94,783 | $315,872 | 23.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wilmette, Illinois.
What is the population of Wilmette, Illinois?
About 24,620 people live in Wilmette, Illinois, in 9,149 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 45.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Wilmette, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Wilmette, Illinois has 4,549 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 53 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wilmette, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($831,563 against $189,031), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,925 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Wilmette, Illinois?
79.1% of adults in Wilmette, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 8 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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