Population 57,698 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wheaton
Household size in Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.64 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Wheaton average 2.64 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Households are largest in the south and smallest in the west.
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 Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.3 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.9 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.6 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.2 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.1 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 39.2, the median age in Wheaton is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Wheaton: 4.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 15 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a lower 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 Wheaton
Renters in Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Wheaton rent their homes (25.5%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Just over three in ten owners (31.1%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. The renter share is up 3.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.6% of homes in Wheaton are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Wheaton leans older: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the north.
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 Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,222 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,310 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,549 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,865 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$643 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Wheaton runs $1,865 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $643 a month from 2006–10, a 53% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Wheaton
Bachelor's degrees in Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.4% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 63.1% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 65.2% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 66.4% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Wheaton: 66.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.0 points, in line with the national trend. Only 33 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a higher 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 Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.1% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.0% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.4% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.4% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Wheaton: 96.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Wheaton has a higher 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 Wheaton
| Period | Wheaton | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wheaton runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.3 points, mirroring the country. 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).
Wheaton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | 2.64 | 39.2 | 4.3% | 25.5% | 4.6% | 1972 | $1,865 | 66.4% | 96.4% | 3.8% |
| Glen Ellyn | 2.76 | 40.8 | 5.7% | 21.5% | 4.6% | 1969 | $1,702 | 64.1% | 95.2% | 5.3% |
| Winfield | 2.72 | 45.7 | 4.6% | 11.5% | 4.1% | 1981 | $1,742 | 53.2% | 95.1% | 4.3% |
| Glendale Heights | 3.08 | 36.5 | 11.3% | 35.4% | 5.3% | 1979 | $1,678 | 30.4% | 84.1% | 5.6% |
| Carol Stream | 2.79 | 42.0 | 7.8% | 28.7% | 5.3% | 1983 | $1,723 | 42.3% | 89.1% | 3.6% |
| Warrenville | 2.54 | 38.8 | 7.8% | 26.0% | 6.1% | 1987 | $2,010 | 47.9% | 87.8% | 4.1% |
| Lombard | 2.59 | 39.7 | 8.1% | 29.6% | 7.7% | 1971 | $1,908 | 48.6% | 95.9% | 5.1% |
| Lisle | 2.27 | 40.1 | 9.0% | 42.4% | 6.4% | 1980 | $1,648 | 60.1% | 97.5% | 5.2% |
| West Chicago | 3.31 | 39.8 | 12.1% | 22.7% | 4.0% | 1977 | $1,514 | 33.4% | 81.8% | 9.7% |
| Bloomingdale | 2.50 | 45.0 | 7.8% | 23.5% | 4.4% | 1983 | $1,546 | 44.0% | 92.6% | 4.6% |
| Wayne Center | 3.19 | 37.9 | 5.3% | 27.0% | 3.4% | 1992 | $2,002 | 43.6% | 93.2% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Woodbridge, VA · Pocatello, ID · Rosemead, CA · Stillwater, OK · Venice, FL · Kettering, OH · Huntsville, TX · Houma, LA · Goleta, CA · Garner, NC
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 Wheaton. 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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