Population 106,635 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kankakee County
Household size in Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.62 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.67 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Kankakee County has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Illinois as a whole looks much the same. Household size has dropped from 2.66 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Kankakee County are younger than 40.0 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.8, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Kankakee County than nationally: 13.5%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only six have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Kankakee County
Renters in Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.6% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.4% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.1% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Kankakee County rent their homes (30.1%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 43.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest.
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 Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Kankakee County is close to the national rate: 9.9% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Illinois as a whole (8.1%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 0.5 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Kankakee County run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. That is in line with the rest of Illinois. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the south.
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 Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $795 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $902 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $948 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,144 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$349 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Kankakee County runs $1,144 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $349 a month from 2006–10, a 44% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the southeast.
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 Kankakee County
Bachelor's degrees in Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Kankakee County: 21.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.7% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.9% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.5% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Kankakee County is a bit above the national rate: 91.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 6.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Kankakee County
| Period | Kankakee County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.8%, unemployment in Kankakee County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Illinois as a whole (6.0%). Unemployment has fallen 5.3 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).
Kankakee County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee County | 2.54 | 40.0 | 13.5% | 30.1% | 9.9% | 1973 | $1,144 | 21.3% | 91.8% | 4.8% |
| Jasper County | 2.66 | 41.0 | 9.8% | 16.4% | 8.8% | 1984 | $991 | 19.8% | 92.8% | 4.9% |
| Pulaski County | 2.54 | 43.9 | 10.4% | 25.4% | 15.8% | 1968 | $725 | 14.1% | 88.5% | 2.2% |
| Starke County | 2.70 | 41.7 | 9.3% | 17.0% | 19.0% | 1974 | $899 | 13.1% | 87.7% | 3.5% |
| Putnam County | 2.31 | 45.3 | 10.9% | 18.5% | 16.3% | 1971 | $817 | 21.9% | 94.2% | 4.1% |
| Marshall County | 2.24 | 45.7 | 10.8% | 20.8% | 11.8% | 1959 | $791 | 17.7% | 91.5% | 4.0% |
| Fulton County | 2.53 | 41.8 | 10.2% | 19.9% | 14.9% | 1965 | $871 | 17.0% | 88.8% | 6.7% |
| Stark County | 2.28 | 44.5 | 9.0% | 19.9% | 10.5% | 1952 | $765 | 21.4% | 92.8% | 2.3% |
| Kosciusko County | 2.55 | 39.6 | 10.3% | 23.0% | 14.5% | 1980 | $1,056 | 25.3% | 87.3% | 2.7% |
| Whitley County | 2.48 | 41.1 | 9.4% | 18.2% | 7.3% | 1976 | $905 | 23.1% | 92.5% | 3.3% |
| Allen County | 2.59 | 37.1 | 12.3% | 31.1% | 6.7% | 1978 | $1,176 | 32.3% | 89.6% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Lycoming County, PA · Garland County, AR · Grant County, WA · Hanover County, VA · Whitfield County, GA · Wayne County, OH · Wayne County, NC · Walworth County, WI · Hunt County, TX · Jefferson County, NY
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 Kankakee County. 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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