City · Illinois
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin, city, mostly in Kane County (78.5% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Cook County, Illinois. Elgin had 115,476 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 114,797 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 114,934 (±541). GEOID 1723074.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
115,476
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 114,797 · ACS 2020-2024: 114,934 ±541
Median household income
$90,282
±$3,200 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$273,000
±$6,383 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$1,361
±$65 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Elgin and what county is it in?
Elgin is a city mostly in Kane County (78.5% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Cook County, Illinois. It covers 38.2 square miles of land, 3,007 residents per square mile in 2020.
Elgin is in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 13 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Elgin lies mostly within Elgin Township and reaches into Hanover Township (Cook County), Plato Township and Dundee Township, towns or townships with their own local government (2020 census blocks).
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kane County | 90,150 | 78.5% |
| Cook County | 24,647 | 21.5% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Elgin, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 115,476 people lived in Elgin on July 1, 2025, up 0.6% since 2020, while Illinois shrank 0.8%. The 2020 Census counted 114,797 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 114,934 (±541).
| Measure | Elgin | Kane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 114,934 ±541 | 517,255 | +2,281 |
| Households | 39,317 ±1,048 | 184,706 | +2,414 |
| Average household size | 2.88 ±0.07 | 2.77 | −0.12 |
| Housing units | 40,523 ±1,073 | 190,921 | no clear change |
Elgin's population since 2000
From 94,487 in 2000 to 115,476 in 2025: up 22.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Elgin as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Elgin?
The median resident of Elgin is 36.7 years old; 25.3% are under 18 and 13.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 48.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 34.9%. 26.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Elgin | Kane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 ±1.3 | 38.8 | +1.7 |
| Under 18 years | 25.3% ±1.2 pts | 23.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.5% ±0.9 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Male | 51.0% ±1.0 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 48.7% ±2.1 pts | 33.4% | +3.0 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 34.9% ±1.8 pts | 54.0% | −6.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 5.2% ±0.8 pts | 4.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±0.9 pts | 4.0% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±1.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 26.4% ±1.3 pts | 17.2% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 48.1% ±1.6 pts | 31.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.4% ±0.5 pts | 4.3% | – |
| With a disability | 10.4% ±0.8 pts | 9.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.8% ±1.3 pts | 7.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.4% ±1.5 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 27.0% ±1.7 pts | 38.1% | +2.5 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.4% ±0.9 pts | 13.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.8% ±1.3 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±0.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Elgin earn?
Half of Elgin's 39,317 households earn less than $90,282 a year (±$3,200), against $103,163 in Kane County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 the median was $84,968 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $5,314 after inflation. 9.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Elgin | Kane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,282 ±$3,200 | $103,163 | +$5,314 |
| Mean household income | $107,076 ±$3,664 | $131,975 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,057 ±$1,493 | $47,482 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.8% ±1.3 pts | 7.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.9% ±2.8 pts | 11.1% | −4.8 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.6% ±1.7 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0% ±0.8 pts | 97.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.0% ±0.9 pts | 93.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Elgin?
Owners occupy 71.9% of Elgin's occupied homes and renters 28.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $273,000 by its owner (±$6,383). The median renter pays $1,361 a month including utilities, and 39.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Elgin | Kane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $273,000 ±$6,383 | $327,000 | +$44,091 |
| Median gross rent | $1,361 ±$65 | $1,453 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 39.4% ±5.0 pts | 40.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,016 ±$61 | $2,256 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.9% ±2.1 pts | 76.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.1% ±2.1 pts | 24.0% | – |
| Housing units | 40,523 ±1,073 | 190,921 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.7% ±0.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.9% ±1.1 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.9% ±2.0 pts | 69.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4% ±0.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.9% ±0.8 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.9% ±1.5 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.6% ±1.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Elgin building?
Builders took permits for 241 new housing units in Elgin in 2025 (201 in single-family houses), 2.1 per 1,000 residents against 1.5 across Illinois.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Elgin work and get to work?
71.5% of Elgin's workers drive alone and 12.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.1%.
| Measure | Elgin | Kane County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 69.0% ±1.3 pts | 69.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% ±0.9 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 71.5% ±1.6 pts | 70.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.5% ±1.2 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.9% ±0.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.9% ±0.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.8% ±1.4 pts | 15.9% | +9.3 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.2 min ±0.8 | 27.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Elgin?
22 census tracts lie mostly in Elgin, and 15 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $57,981 (Tract 8549) to $174,773 (Tract 8519.11).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8508Kane County | 6,841 | $87,247 |
| Tract 8514Kane County | 6,729 | $69,564 |
| Tract 8516Kane County | 6,007 | $70,964 |
| Tract 8510Kane County | 6,116 | $72,115 |
| Tract 8519.11Kane County | 5,155 | $174,773 |
| Tract 8519.08Kane County | 5,913 | $96,433 |
| Tract 8519.04Kane County | 6,783 | $98,750 |
| Tract 8044.04Cook County | 5,399 | $86,546 |
| Tract 8519.13Kane County | 5,581 | $110,865 |
| Tract 8044.06Cook County | 5,465 | $75,305 |
| Tract 8519.07Kane County | 9,048 | $126,767 |
| Tract 8546Kane County | 4,190 | $68,868 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Elgin) · Census block assignment files
How does Elgin compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Elgin is the 268th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 6th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Elgin ranks 473rd of 1,380 places in Illinois with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 6th | 1,294 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 211th | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 158th | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 473rd | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 769th | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 310th | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 270th | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 584th | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 566th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 1,154th | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 957th | 1,382 |
| Work from home | 394th | 1,015 |
| Travel time to work | 423rd | 1,382 |
Elgin's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Elgin with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Elgin?
4 of the 57 figures for Elgin on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Elgin are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Elgin.