Zion, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Zion, 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 | Zion | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,101 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2121.9 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.4 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,646 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Zion declined by 7.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,101 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Zion is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.5% of residents. That is 3.3 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,170 24.5% +3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,255 20.2% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,317 20.5% on par
- Boomers 61–79 2,750 13.0% -3.9 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 51.8% of the people living in Zion and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.2% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Zion has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Zion | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,942 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.97% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Zion is about 22% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Zion | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $166,479 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,175 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.6% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Zion is about 11.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,175 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Zion spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 218 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Zion | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.3 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 218 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,758 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 82 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,526 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Zion is 26 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
Zion has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Zion | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Health
Zion has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Zion | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.2% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.7% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Zion, IL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Zion, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zion, IL | 21,101 | $65,942 #3/3 | $166,479 #3/3 | 26.2 min #3/3 |
| Pleasant Prairie, WI | 24,424 | $101,348 | $316,540 | 21.7 min |
| Waukegan, IL | 86,567 | $71,030 | $255,219 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Zion, Illinois.
How big is Zion, Illinois by population?
About 21,101 people live in Zion, Illinois, in 7,646 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 33.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Zion, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Zion, Illinois has 2,122 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 25 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Zion, Illinois?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($166,479 against $65,942), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,175 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Zion, Illinois?
Unemployment in Zion, Illinois is 7.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Zion, Illinois have a college degree?
15.4% of adults in Zion, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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