Population 21,510 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Blue Island
Household size in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.96 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.95 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.68 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.28 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Blue Island average 2.68 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has dropped from 2.96 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.7 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.0 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.9 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.1 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.4 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Blue Island is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.1, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 32.7, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Blue Island (13.5%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 4.3 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Blue Island
Renters in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.2% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 41.6% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 49.9% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.4% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Blue Island than nationally: 47.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 48.8% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.2 points, as it has nationally. Only ten of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Blue Island: 6.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the Chicago area. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 6.8 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1951 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1955 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Blue Island is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1962, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1951 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $811 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $857 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $906 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,192 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$381 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Blue Island runs $1,192 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $381 a month since 2006–10, up 47%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Blue Island
Bachelor's degrees in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.4% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Blue Island have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.2%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 9.3 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.7% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.0% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.6% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.8% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Blue Island never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 7.1 points, mirroring the country. Only 17 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Blue Island
| Period | Blue Island | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Blue Island: 15.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only three of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Blue Island compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Island | 2.68 | 37.1 | 13.5% | 47.4% | 6.9% | 1962 | $1,192 | 20.2% | 80.8% | 15.5% |
| Calumet Park | 2.56 | 36.9 | 14.2% | 45.0% | 8.4% | 1963 | $1,228 | 24.9% | 90.7% | 14.7% |
| Merrionette Park | 2.30 | 33.2 | 21.4% | 38.4% | 0.6% | 1963 | $1,312 | 26.5% | 85.3% | 9.5% |
| Robbins | 2.56 | 36.8 | 16.3% | 42.5% | 18.4% | 1963 | $1,521 | 14.8% | 81.9% | 15.9% |
| Dixmoor | 2.94 | 31.2 | 19.3% | 36.0% | 22.8% | 1970 | $1,269 | 7.7% | 84.0% | 6.1% |
| Posen | 3.86 | 30.1 | 15.8% | 33.1% | 6.5% | 1971 | $1,395 | 12.5% | 81.7% | 5.0% |
| Alsip | 2.49 | 40.2 | 16.6% | 32.2% | 3.9% | 1974 | $1,250 | 18.7% | 89.4% | 8.6% |
| Midlothian | 2.49 | 40.3 | 9.7% | 23.9% | 5.6% | 1966 | $1,435 | 19.2% | 88.2% | 6.0% |
| Riverdale | 2.73 | 28.5 | 39.5% | 66.0% | 17.9% | 1953 | $1,005 | 12.2% | 86.6% | 21.4% |
| Crestwood | 1.98 | 51.8 | 6.6% | 23.0% | 5.9% | 1979 | $1,357 | 27.5% | 92.4% | 7.3% |
| Harvey | 3.03 | 36.8 | 20.0% | 42.4% | 21.1% | 1961 | $1,060 | 10.8% | 76.4% | 13.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Port Hueneme, CA · Haslett, MI · Hatboro, PA · Hayesville, OR · Hazel Dell, WA · Heber City, UT · Henderson, TX · Highland Park, MI · Hillside, NJ · Pascagoula, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Blue Island. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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