Population 83,539 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Des Plaines
Household size in Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.74 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.73 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.72 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Des Plaines average 2.72 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.68, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southwest 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 Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.9 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.8 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.3 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.7 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Des Plaines skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.7, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 39.9 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Des Plaines than nationally: 9.1%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, 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 Des Plaines
Renters in Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.1% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.7% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.1% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Des Plaines rent their homes (28.1%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than four in ten owners (45.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.3 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Des Plaines: 7.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The Chicago area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Des Plaines is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The Chicago area as a whole looks much the same. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the southeast 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 Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,051 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,051 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,257 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,567 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$516 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Des Plaines pays $1,567 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $516 a month since 2006–10, up 49%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.6% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Des Plaines
Bachelor's degrees in Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.7% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.7% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.5% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 37.7% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Des Plaines as nationally: 37.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the wider Chicago area (40.9%). The share with a degree has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.3% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.8% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.7% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.3% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Des Plaines never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 2.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Des Plaines has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Illinois cities.
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 Des Plaines
| Period | Des Plaines | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Des Plaines is close to the national rate: 4.9% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the wider Chicago area (6.3%). Unemployment has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Des Plaines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Plaines | 2.72 | 42.7 | 9.1% | 28.1% | 7.2% | 1970 | $1,567 | 37.7% | 87.3% | 4.9% |
| Rosemont | 2.09 | 48.7 | 6.9% | 77.7% | 5.3% | 1970 | $775 | 26.9% | 86.8% | 4.3% |
| Mount Prospect | 2.68 | 42.3 | 9.9% | 30.7% | 5.1% | 1970 | $1,544 | 48.9% | 91.0% | 3.6% |
| Park Ridge | 2.65 | 44.8 | 6.9% | 15.1% | 6.3% | 1959 | $1,914 | 66.7% | 96.7% | 4.0% |
| Niles | 2.61 | 48.0 | 6.9% | 26.0% | 6.3% | 1965 | $1,405 | 40.0% | 89.8% | 7.3% |
| Glenview | 2.64 | 45.9 | 7.5% | 21.4% | 5.3% | 1969 | $1,878 | 63.7% | 96.0% | 4.5% |
| Glenview Nas | 2.57 | 46.4 | 6.5% | 31.1% | 6.7% | 1989 | $2,263 | 69.2% | 97.9% | 2.4% |
| Prospect Heights | 2.38 | 45.4 | 8.3% | 35.6% | 4.4% | 1972 | $1,551 | 42.0% | 83.7% | 3.1% |
| Morton Grove | 2.65 | 45.7 | 7.4% | 15.4% | 5.4% | 1967 | $2,052 | 54.8% | 90.8% | 4.7% |
| Golf | 2.49 | 40.2 | 5.8% | 34.3% | 1.1% | 1996 | $2,468 | 67.4% | 97.8% | 2.3% |
| Schiller Park | 2.67 | 39.1 | 11.5% | 40.8% | 5.4% | 1963 | $1,319 | 25.8% | 86.7% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rockville, MD · Rockford, IL · Saginaw, MI · Rocklin, CA · Redondo Beach, CA · Pueblo, CO · Poughkeepsie, NY · Quincy, MA · Richardson, TX · Portsmouth, VA
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 Des Plaines. 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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