City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Evanston, IL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Evanston - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

76,552
Residents
$95,766
Median income
$472,300
Median home
$1,781
Median rent (state)

Evanston - the verdict

Nationally, Evanston sits in the 75th percentile for household income and the 17th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

75th
percentile, household income
83rd
percentile, home value
72nd
percentile, median rent
17th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Evanston, IL

76,552 people live in Evanston, Illinois - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Evanston households earn a median of $95,766 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.0%. Evanston's housing stock carries a median value of $472,300, and the median resident age is 38.0 years. 70.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 59.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 65 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 150% from five years earlier. Evanston's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2883.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,781 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Evanston report an average commute of 21.2 minutes, with 42.0% driving alone and 25.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 100.0 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

76,552 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Illinois

Median Household Income

$95,766 /yr

Poverty 5.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

How does Evanston compare to other US cities?

Here's how Evanston stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 75% higher than other cities
Home value 83% pricier than other cities
Median rent 72% pricier than other cities
Safety 17% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Illinois alone, Evanston ranks #409 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Evanston against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Illinois only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Illinois-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Evanston's strongest outlier among Illinois cities

Among the 1,315 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Evanston ranks #46 - the 97th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Evanston only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#253 of 1,311
81st percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#17 of 1,336
77th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#46 of 1,315
97th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#840 of 1,335
36th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#36 of 1,336
97th percentile in Illinois

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Illinois only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

75thIncome percentile
17thSafety percentile

75th percentile nationally for median household income · 17th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Evanston's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Evanston's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
Evanston's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Evanston's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$472,300 17th percentile more affordable than 17% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Evanston $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Evanston, IL Evanston, IL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Evanston, IL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Evanston, IL median $95,766/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Evanston, IL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Evanston, IL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 70.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
76,552
Median Income
$95,766
Median Home Value
$472,300
Median Age
38.0
Poverty Rate
5.0%
Labor force participation
59.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
70.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2883.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
141.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2742.1
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
16
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
75,000 residents76,000 residents77,000 residents78,000 residents79,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 77,838 residents 76,380 residents ▼ -1.9%
Evanston's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
65
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
60
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 26
2020 65
2021 25
2022 150
2023 5
2024 65

Permit volume increased 150% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
21.2 minutes
Drive Alone
42.0%
Carpool
4.1%
Public Transit
13.0%
Walk
10.9%
Work from Home
25.5%
Other
4.5%

Based on 37,279 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Illinois - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$240
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Illinois state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Illinois state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Evanston sits in

Cost of Living Index
100.0
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,781/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
100.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Illinois

Schaumburg
76,780 people
Arlington Heights
76,220 people
Bloomington
78,703 people
Bolingbrook
73,813 people
Decatur
70,368 people
Cicero
83,223 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Evanston's 76,552 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Castle Rock, CO
76,614 people
Doral, FL
76,490 people
Flagstaff, AZ
76,333 people
Rapid City, SD
76,836 people
Cheektowaga, NY
76,251 people
Wyoming, MI
76,865 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Evanston's $95,766 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Reinholds, PA
$95,765 median income
Toms River, NJ
$95,759 median income
Poulsbo, WA
$95,774 median income
Crown Point, IN
$95,757 median income
Carnot-Moon, PA
$95,777 median income
Waipio Acres, HI
$95,781 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Evanston, IL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Evanston, IL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 60.9% 14.8% 9.0% 10.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 12.3% White 60.9% Black or African American 14.8% Asian 9.0% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.9% Two or more races 10.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Evanston compares to nearby Illinois cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Evanston (this city) 76,552 $95,766
Schaumburg 76,780 $94,690
Arlington Heights 76,220 $118,532
Bloomington 78,703 $75,449
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Evanston, IL?

What is the population of Evanston, IL? +

The population of Evanston, IL stands at 76,552 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Evanston, IL? +

The median household income in Evanston is $95,766 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Evanston? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Evanston; the closest available measure is the Illinois state average, a cost of living index of 100.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Illinois vary by metro area.

Is Evanston, IL safe? +

Evanston has a total crime rate of 2883.7 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Evanston, IL? +

Homes in Evanston carry a median value of $472,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.