Population 16,150 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Prospect Heights
Household size in Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.67 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Prospect Heights are small: just 2.38 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.51, 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 Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.6 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.4 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.0 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.4, Prospect Heights 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 climbed from 41.4, as it has nationally. Prospect Heights is older than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.3% of households in Prospect Heights, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while 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 Prospect Heights
Renters in Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.9% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.7% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.6% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Prospect Heights rent their homes (35.6%), close to the national share of 34.8%. About half of owners (51.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 6.1 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 Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Prospect Heights: just 4.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.3 points, as it has nationally.
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 Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Prospect Heights run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. The picture is much the same across the Chicago area.
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 Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $924 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,145 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,294 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,551 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$627 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Prospect Heights pays $1,551 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $627 a month from 2006–10, a 68% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 29.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest 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 Prospect Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.2% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.6% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.0% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in Prospect Heights (42.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.8 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
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 Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.5% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.2% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.7% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.7% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Prospect Heights never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 31 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 Prospect Heights
| Period | Prospect Heights | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.1% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Prospect Heights has been low: just 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Prospect Heights 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect Heights | 2.38 | 45.4 | 8.3% | 35.6% | 4.4% | 1972 | $1,551 | 42.0% | 83.7% | 3.1% |
| Wheeling | 2.58 | 41.9 | 8.3% | 35.2% | 6.1% | 1980 | $1,819 | 40.9% | 87.8% | 4.5% |
| Mount Prospect | 2.68 | 42.3 | 9.9% | 30.7% | 5.1% | 1970 | $1,544 | 48.9% | 91.0% | 3.6% |
| Arlington Heights | 2.51 | 43.4 | 7.1% | 26.1% | 5.7% | 1973 | $1,853 | 59.3% | 95.2% | 3.3% |
| Northbrook | 2.54 | 50.3 | 4.4% | 17.4% | 9.0% | 1976 | $2,327 | 71.2% | 96.7% | 3.2% |
| Glenview Nas | 2.57 | 46.4 | 6.5% | 31.1% | 6.7% | 1989 | $2,263 | 69.2% | 97.9% | 2.4% |
| Des Plaines | 2.72 | 42.7 | 9.1% | 28.1% | 7.2% | 1970 | $1,567 | 37.7% | 87.3% | 4.9% |
| Buffalo Grove | 2.67 | 42.7 | 4.9% | 18.4% | 4.3% | 1981 | $2,164 | 67.7% | 96.6% | 2.8% |
| Riverwoods | 2.77 | 43.0 | 8.2% | 26.4% | 7.3% | 1982 | $2,267 | 79.3% | 98.6% | 1.9% |
| Deerfield | 2.71 | 44.5 | 4.6% | 14.5% | 3.0% | 1972 | $2,308 | 81.1% | 98.6% | 2.9% |
| Glenview | 2.64 | 45.9 | 7.5% | 21.4% | 5.3% | 1969 | $1,878 | 63.7% | 96.0% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shiloh, IL · El Reno, OK · El Segundo, CA · Elkhorn, WI · Ellington, CT · Eloy, AZ · Emmett, ID · Eureka, MO · Fairhaven, MA · Fairview, 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 Prospect Heights. 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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