Population 28,946 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kankakee
Household size in Kankakee
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.68 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
The average household in Kankakee has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.67 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the northeast.
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
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.1 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Kankakee are younger than 38.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Illinois as a whole, where the median age is 40.2. The median age has climbed from 36.2 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 Kankakee
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in five households in Kankakee (21.1%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 15 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people 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
Renters in Kankakee
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.5% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 42.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Kankakee rent their homes (42.5%), above the national share of 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 edged down 1.5 points, even as the national share rose. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 25 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 Kankakee
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.3% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.3% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.7% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Kankakee: 14.7% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, 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
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1958 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Kankakee is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1958, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center. Kankakee has older homes than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $766 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $810 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $931 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,130 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$364 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Kankakee costs $1,130 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $364 a month since 2006–10, up 48%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.0% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the northeast.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Kankakee
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Kankakee: 15.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 2.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only 22 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
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
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.7% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.9% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.0% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Kankakee never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.8 points, as it has nationally. Kankakee has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of 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 Kankakee
| Period | Kankakee | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Kankakee than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 9.4 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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).
Kankakee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee | 2.56 | 38.6 | 21.1% | 42.5% | 14.7% | 1958 | $1,130 | 15.3% | 85.6% | 4.6% |
| Bradley | 2.47 | 36.9 | 12.3% | 35.6% | 7.7% | 1975 | $1,166 | 21.0% | 93.4% | 4.9% |
| Greenwich | 2.49 | 42.2 | 9.2% | 10.1% | 8.1% | 1969 | $994 | 27.7% | 94.1% | 5.5% |
| Bourbonnais | 2.52 | 38.7 | 12.6% | 24.4% | 6.9% | 1987 | $1,325 | 31.1% | 95.3% | 5.4% |
| Aroma Park | 2.55 | 43.8 | 6.6% | 17.6% | 10.2% | 1964 | $950 | 21.5% | 90.4% | 2.9% |
| Limestone | 2.56 | 42.9 | 7.4% | 10.8% | 6.4% | 1974 | $1,116 | 24.7% | 95.8% | 3.4% |
| Otto | 2.98 | 34.7 | 32.7% | 35.1% | 7.0% | 1975 | $1,110 | 10.8% | 94.4% | 9.8% |
| Sammons Point | 2.97 | 34.1 | 34.2% | 37.0% | 8.2% | 1975 | $1,121 | 11.2% | 93.9% | 10.2% |
| Indian Oaks | 2.71 | 42.0 | 1.1% | 13.3% | 2.8% | 2003 | $1,356 | 27.8% | 96.9% | 3.8% |
| Sun River Terrace | 2.78 | 38.7 | 12.0% | 39.1% | 22.5% | 1966 | $1,083 | 14.4% | 92.4% | 2.6% |
| Lehigh | 2.56 | 41.3 | 8.3% | 12.7% | 6.4% | 1972 | $1,150 | 22.8% | 95.8% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Webster, TX · Dade City, FL · Davison, MI · Deer Park, NY · Derby, KS · Dinuba, CA · East Palo Alto, CA · Fitchburg, WI · Franklin, IN · Fremont, NE
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. 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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