Population 121,508 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Elgin
Household size in Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.98 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.16 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.02 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.91 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Elgin are large by national standards, averaging 2.91 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.98, mirroring the country.
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 Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.4 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.4 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.8 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.5 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Elgin is 38.5 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.4, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Elgin than nationally: 13.7%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.0 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 Elgin
Renters in Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.7% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.4% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.8% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.0% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Elgin own their homes; 27.0% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About three in ten owners (30.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the west.
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 Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.0% of homes in Elgin are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Elgin has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Elgin run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. Even so, homes here are newer than in the wider Chicago area, where the median home dates to 1970. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,221 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,221 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,362 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,571 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$350 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Elgin costs $1,571 a month with utilities, the same as the national median. Rent has climbed $350 a month since 2006–10, up 29%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest 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 Elgin
Bachelor's degrees in Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.5% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.1% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Elgin (28.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 1.9 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west 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 Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.2% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.3% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.5% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.6% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Elgin never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 2.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 25 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 Elgin
| Period | Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.7%, unemployment in Elgin is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.9 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Elgin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin | 2.91 | 38.5 | 13.7% | 27.0% | 4.0% | 1975 | $1,571 | 28.4% | 82.6% | 5.7% |
| South Elgin | 2.86 | 40.0 | 6.3% | 17.4% | 1.9% | 1995 | $1,770 | 37.4% | 92.1% | 4.4% |
| Sleepy Hollow | 2.39 | 47.0 | 5.1% | 26.2% | 0.8% | 1985 | $1,581 | 48.2% | 94.9% | 5.1% |
| West Dundee | 2.52 | 38.6 | 7.6% | 41.0% | 3.9% | 1982 | $1,725 | 53.0% | 95.3% | 2.9% |
| East Dundee | 2.08 | 53.7 | 5.8% | 30.6% | 2.9% | 1986 | $1,416 | 36.7% | 94.6% | 1.5% |
| Dundee | 2.62 | 40.8 | 8.5% | 20.0% | 3.1% | 1994 | $1,821 | 45.9% | 96.0% | 3.6% |
| Gilberts | 2.95 | 41.9 | 2.5% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 2003 | $1,729 | 52.2% | 95.3% | 4.3% |
| Carpentersville | 3.39 | 33.8 | 15.2% | 28.2% | 3.9% | 1976 | $1,533 | 23.1% | 77.8% | 5.8% |
| Streamwood | 2.99 | 39.6 | 10.9% | 14.2% | 3.7% | 1982 | $1,848 | 29.2% | 85.9% | 3.1% |
| Bartlett | 2.91 | 41.4 | 8.0% | 10.7% | 3.6% | 1987 | $1,886 | 46.8% | 94.5% | 3.2% |
| Wayne | 2.65 | 48.7 | 6.0% | 8.2% | 2.7% | 1990 | $2,248 | 54.4% | 96.3% | 5.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Kenosha, WI · Iowa City, IA · Indio, CA · Idaho Falls, ID · Jackson, MS · Indianapolis, IN · Huntington Beach, CA · Independence, MO · Irving, TX · Irvine, CA
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 Elgin. 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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