Population 32,830 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Chicago
Household size in West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.26 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.39 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.42 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.31 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in West Chicago are large by national standards, averaging 3.31 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has crept up from 3.26 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only three of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
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 West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.8 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.5 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.4 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 39.8, the median age in West Chicago 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 34.5, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northeast.
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 West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in West Chicago as they are nationally: 12.1%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 1.5 points since 2006–10, even as 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 West Chicago
Renters in West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.7% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.3% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
West Chicago is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 36.8% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 2.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in West Chicago: just 4.0% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.6 points, mirroring the country. West Chicago has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Illinois cities.
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 West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in West Chicago are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the Chicago area overall, where the median home dates to 1970. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, 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 West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $914 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,053 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,393 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,514 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$600 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in West Chicago runs $1,514 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Chicago area overall ($1,602). Rents are up $600 a month from 2006–10, a 66% jump, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 39.6% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 West Chicago
Bachelor's degrees in West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.0% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.3% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.4% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in West Chicago (33.4%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Chicago area overall (40.9%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.4 points, 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 West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.1% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.8% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.5% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.8% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in West Chicago never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 22 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people 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 West Chicago
| Period | West Chicago | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in West Chicago: 9.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only 21 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has risen 1.8 points, even as the national rate fell.
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).
West Chicago 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Chicago | 3.31 | 39.8 | 12.1% | 22.7% | 4.0% | 1977 | $1,514 | 33.4% | 81.8% | 9.7% |
| Wayne Center | 3.19 | 37.9 | 5.3% | 27.0% | 3.4% | 1992 | $2,002 | 43.6% | 93.2% | 2.9% |
| Winfield | 2.72 | 45.7 | 4.6% | 11.5% | 4.1% | 1981 | $1,742 | 53.2% | 95.1% | 4.3% |
| Carol Stream | 2.79 | 42.0 | 7.8% | 28.7% | 5.3% | 1983 | $1,723 | 42.3% | 89.1% | 3.6% |
| Wayne | 2.65 | 48.7 | 6.0% | 8.2% | 2.7% | 1990 | $2,248 | 54.4% | 96.3% | 5.1% |
| Warrenville | 2.54 | 38.8 | 7.8% | 26.0% | 6.1% | 1987 | $2,010 | 47.9% | 87.8% | 4.1% |
| Wheaton | 2.64 | 39.2 | 4.3% | 25.5% | 4.6% | 1972 | $1,865 | 66.4% | 96.4% | 3.8% |
| Bartlett | 2.91 | 41.4 | 8.0% | 10.7% | 3.6% | 1987 | $1,886 | 46.8% | 94.5% | 3.2% |
| Batavia | 2.62 | 42.6 | 7.7% | 21.1% | 2.2% | 1979 | $1,657 | 57.4% | 97.0% | 2.8% |
| St. Charles | 2.62 | 41.4 | 8.2% | 25.2% | 5.8% | 1981 | $2,229 | 51.5% | 94.3% | 3.9% |
| Glendale Heights | 3.08 | 36.5 | 11.3% | 35.4% | 5.3% | 1979 | $1,678 | 30.4% | 84.1% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ashland, KY · Baldwinsville, NY · Banning, CA · Barstow, CA · Bel Air North, MD · Bell, CA · Bethel Park, PA · Bixby, OK · Boone, NC · Ramona, 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 West Chicago. 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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