Population 25,807 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of South Elgin: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in South Elgin
Household size in South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.05 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.96 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.04 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.86 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.19 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in South Elgin average 2.86 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.05, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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 South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.8 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.2 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.9 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.2 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.0, the median age in South Elgin is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.8, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the east.
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 South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in South Elgin: 6.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 4.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. South Elgin has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 South Elgin
Renters in South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.8% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.4% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 17.4% of households in South Elgin rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About a quarter of owners (25.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.3 points, as it has 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 South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.7% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 1.9% of homes in South Elgin are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 2.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only two have a lower vacancy rate.
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 South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1995 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in South Elgin is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1995, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1989 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the east. Only 19 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have newer homes.
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 South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,215 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,263 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,390 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,770 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$555 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in South Elgin runs $1,770 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $555 a month from 2006–10, a 46% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 34.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the southwest 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 South Elgin
Bachelor's degrees in South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.4% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.0% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.0% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 37.4% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in South Elgin as nationally: 37.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Chicago area overall (40.9%). The share with a degree is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.0% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.0% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.7% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.1% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in South Elgin have finished high school (92.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 South Elgin
| Period | South Elgin | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in South Elgin than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Elgin | 2.86 | 40.0 | 6.3% | 17.4% | 1.9% | 1995 | $1,770 | 37.4% | 92.1% | 4.4% |
| Elgin | 2.91 | 38.5 | 13.7% | 27.0% | 4.0% | 1975 | $1,571 | 28.4% | 82.6% | 5.7% |
| St. Charles | 2.62 | 41.4 | 8.2% | 25.2% | 5.8% | 1981 | $2,229 | 51.5% | 94.3% | 3.9% |
| Wayne | 2.65 | 48.7 | 6.0% | 8.2% | 2.7% | 1990 | $2,248 | 54.4% | 96.3% | 5.1% |
| Campton Hills | 2.98 | 43.0 | 4.7% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 1992 | $2,649 | 59.5% | 98.4% | 4.5% |
| Bartlett | 2.91 | 41.4 | 8.0% | 10.7% | 3.6% | 1987 | $1,886 | 46.8% | 94.5% | 3.2% |
| 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% |
| Geneva | 2.76 | 41.5 | 6.5% | 15.7% | 4.0% | 1988 | $1,870 | 63.6% | 97.5% | 4.2% |
| Streamwood | 2.99 | 39.6 | 10.9% | 14.2% | 3.7% | 1982 | $1,848 | 29.2% | 85.9% | 3.1% |
| Gilberts | 2.95 | 41.9 | 2.5% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 2003 | $1,729 | 52.2% | 95.3% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Seal Beach, CA · Fort Walton Beach, FL · Fountain Hills, AZ · Gainesville, TX · Goodlettsville, TN · Green Valley, AZ · Greenbelt, MD · Harrison, AR · Harrison Township, MI · Flat Rock, MI
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 South 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.