Population 16,520 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wauconda
Household size in Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.70 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.78 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.78 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Wauconda average 2.78 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.70, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the south.
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 Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.3 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.4 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Wauconda are younger than 39.8 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 36.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the south.
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 Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.8% of households in Wauconda, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 1.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Wauconda
Renters in Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.5% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Wauconda is largely a place of homeowners: only 20.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 32.6% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the northeast.
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 Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.4% of homes in Wauconda are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Compared with other Illinois cities, Wauconda has a lower vacancy rate than most.
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 Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Wauconda is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the south has the oldest housing.
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 Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,130 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,307 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,439 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,571 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$441 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wauconda pays $1,571 a month for rent and utilities, the same as the national median. Rent has climbed $441 a month since 2006–10, up 39%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 23.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the north; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Wauconda
Bachelor's degrees in Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.1% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.3% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.2% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Wauconda (39.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 6.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast 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 Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.6% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.3% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.7% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.0% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Wauconda have finished high school (91.0%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The Chicago area as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 1.4 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 Wauconda
| Period | Wauconda | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wauconda runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.5 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).
Wauconda 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wauconda | 2.78 | 39.8 | 7.8% | 20.5% | 5.4% | 1987 | $1,571 | 39.2% | 91.0% | 4.4% |
| Tower Lakes | 2.70 | 48.6 | 4.3% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1972 | $1,701 | 76.0% | 100.0% | 6.6% |
| Island Lake | 2.69 | 41.5 | 10.4% | 16.7% | 4.6% | 1986 | $1,784 | 29.8% | 91.1% | 6.7% |
| Port Barrington | 2.58 | 42.6 | 5.0% | 10.4% | 7.7% | 1990 | $1,580 | 41.5% | 98.1% | 3.4% |
| Volo | 2.85 | 35.7 | 9.5% | 19.0% | 3.7% | 2005 | $2,020 | 54.6% | 96.6% | 2.4% |
| Lake Barrington | 2.46 | 52.8 | 6.0% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 1983 | $1,951 | 66.4% | 97.8% | 4.6% |
| North Barrington | 2.85 | 46.4 | 3.6% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 1976 | $2,365 | 73.4% | 98.5% | 3.8% |
| Hawthorn Woods | 2.82 | 46.8 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 2.4% | 1994 | $1,894 | 69.3% | 98.1% | 4.3% |
| Holiday Hills | 2.19 | 47.4 | 5.1% | 8.5% | 3.4% | 1968 | $1,543 | 25.1% | 87.0% | 3.1% |
| Round Lake | 2.95 | 37.0 | 9.9% | 20.7% | 4.6% | 1999 | $1,616 | 38.5% | 87.7% | 6.1% |
| Lakemoor | 2.68 | 37.4 | 6.7% | 27.4% | 3.4% | 1990 | $1,654 | 37.2% | 94.0% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Spencerport, NY · Clearlake, CA · Clio, MI · Commerce, GA · Crowley, LA · South Houston, TX · South River, NJ · Southchase, FL · Sparta, WI · Clayton, MO
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 Wauconda. 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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