Population 39,021 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wheeling
Household size in Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.71 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.58 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
At 2.58 people per household, Wheeling sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in the Chicago area overall, where it has 2.66 people. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the southeast.
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 Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.5 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.8 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Wheeling is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.4, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the 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 Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.3% of households in Wheeling, well below the national share of 11.6%. Compared with other Illinois cities, Wheeling has a lower share of single-parent households than most.
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 Wheeling
Renters in Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.2% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.7% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Wheeling rent their homes (35.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Nearly four in ten owners (38.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.2 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 Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Wheeling than nationally: 6.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Chicago area. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.2 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 Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Wheeling are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in the wider Chicago area, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the west 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 Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,113 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,151 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,307 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,819 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$706 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Wheeling runs $1,819 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $706 a month since 2006–10, up 63%, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 31.1% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northeast; the highest are in the center.
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 Wheeling
Bachelor's degrees in Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.1% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.6% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 40.9% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Wheeling than nationally: 40.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.6 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the center.
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 Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.9% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.5% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.1% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.8% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Wheeling never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 1.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Wheeling has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five 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 Wheeling
| Period | Wheeling | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 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 | 4.5% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Wheeling than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Wheeling 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling | 2.58 | 41.9 | 8.3% | 35.2% | 6.1% | 1980 | $1,819 | 40.9% | 87.8% | 4.5% |
| Prospect Heights | 2.38 | 45.4 | 8.3% | 35.6% | 4.4% | 1972 | $1,551 | 42.0% | 83.7% | 3.1% |
| 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% |
| Arlington Heights | 2.51 | 43.4 | 7.1% | 26.1% | 5.7% | 1973 | $1,853 | 59.3% | 95.2% | 3.3% |
| Lincolnshire | 2.65 | 47.6 | 5.0% | 22.3% | 6.6% | 1987 | $2,761 | 76.4% | 97.6% | 2.7% |
| Deerfield | 2.71 | 44.5 | 4.6% | 14.5% | 3.0% | 1972 | $2,308 | 81.1% | 98.6% | 2.9% |
| Northbrook | 2.54 | 50.3 | 4.4% | 17.4% | 9.0% | 1976 | $2,327 | 71.2% | 96.7% | 3.2% |
| Mount Prospect | 2.68 | 42.3 | 9.9% | 30.7% | 5.1% | 1970 | $1,544 | 48.9% | 91.0% | 3.6% |
| Bannockburn | 2.62 | 31.8 | 2.3% | 5.8% | 3.7% | 1970 | $3,456 | 81.2% | 99.3% | 2.2% |
| Palatine | 2.56 | 41.0 | 11.0% | 34.1% | 5.7% | 1977 | $1,705 | 50.6% | 90.7% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: West Fargo, ND · Linton Hall, VA · South Valley, NM · Summit, AZ · Temple City, CA · Vicksburg, MS · Villa Rica, GA · Wenatchee, WA · Danville, IL · Cullman, AL
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 Wheeling. 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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