Population 24,125 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Darien
Household size in Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Darien has 2.48 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.51, in line with the national trend. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the east.
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 Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.8 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.1 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.0 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.1 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.7 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.1, Darien is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has edged down from 45.8, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the west.
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 Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Darien: 7.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.2 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Darien
Renters in Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.3% of households in Darien rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 44.4% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.9 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.9% of homes in Darien are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.1 points, mirroring the country.
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 Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Darien was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the Chicago area overall, where the median home dates to 1970. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $959 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,141 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,390 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,790 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$831 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Darien runs $1,790 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $831 a month since 2006–10, up 87%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 27.7% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Darien
Bachelor's degrees in Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.0% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.8% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 51.0% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Darien: 51.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 7.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.0% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.9% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.1% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Darien: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Compared with other Illinois cities, Darien has a higher share of high school graduates than most.
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 Darien
| Period | Darien | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Darien is close to the national rate: 4.7% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the Chicago area overall (6.3%). Unemployment is down 1.6 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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).
Darien 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darien | 2.48 | 45.1 | 7.9% | 20.3% | 4.9% | 1978 | $1,790 | 51.0% | 95.5% | 4.7% |
| Willowbrook | 2.31 | 47.5 | 6.3% | 30.9% | 6.2% | 1980 | $1,781 | 51.4% | 95.6% | 3.4% |
| Westmont | 2.32 | 44.9 | 7.9% | 38.8% | 8.0% | 1976 | $1,558 | 50.2% | 95.3% | 4.1% |
| Downers Grove | 2.53 | 45.0 | 6.5% | 21.6% | 5.6% | 1971 | $1,872 | 58.2% | 96.6% | 4.1% |
| Burr Ridge | 2.52 | 54.1 | 4.8% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 1988 | $1,726 | 65.7% | 95.8% | 2.8% |
| Hinsdale | 2.82 | 39.1 | 11.9% | 19.9% | 7.3% | 1980 | $2,190 | 68.6% | 97.4% | 6.1% |
| Woodridge | 2.63 | 39.6 | 8.1% | 30.7% | 6.5% | 1981 | $1,612 | 49.0% | 93.8% | 4.7% |
| Clarendon Hills | 2.74 | 41.4 | 8.1% | 23.6% | 6.8% | 1978 | $1,129 | 68.1% | 96.8% | 3.4% |
| Indian Head Park | 2.24 | 55.0 | 4.5% | 10.8% | 3.8% | 1978 | $1,587 | 58.8% | 96.1% | 7.1% |
| Willow Springs | 2.55 | 43.1 | 3.4% | 12.3% | 5.6% | 1979 | $1,595 | 40.1% | 95.2% | 4.7% |
| Sag Bridge | 2.11 | 48.9 | 2.3% | 33.4% | 6.0% | 1988 | $719 | 33.6% | 97.1% | 1.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ridgefield, CT · Hartselle, AL · Hastings, NE · Hauppauge, NY · Helena, AL · Hernando, MS · Huntingdon Valley, PA · Jackson, MO · La Grange, KY · Lithia Springs, GA
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 Darien. 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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