Township · Illinois
Shields Township, Illinois
Shields Township, township, in Lake County, Illinois. Shields Township had 41,282 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 9.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 37,685 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 37,623 (±45). GEOID 1709769485.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
41,282
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 37,685 · ACS 2020-2024: 37,623 ±45
Median household income
$112,865
±$11,387 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$620,800
±$73,023 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$1,680
±$89 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Shields Township and what county is it in?
Shields Township is a township in Lake County, Illinois. It covers 17.8 square miles of land, 2,117 residents per square mile in 2020.
3 places lie inside Shields Township: North Chicago (city, 30,759 in 2020), Lake Bluff (village, 5,616 in 2020) and Knollwood (CDP, 2,121 in 2020). Part of Lake Forest (city) and Green Oaks (village) also lie in it.
Shields Township is in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 13 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Shields Township, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 41,282 people lived in Shields Township on July 1, 2025, up 9.5% since 2020, while Illinois shrank 0.8%. The 2020 Census counted 37,685 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 37,623 (±45).
| Measure | Shields Township | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 37,623±45 | 714,223 | +996 |
| Households | 9,732±382 | 258,455 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.55±0.10 | 2.69 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 10,756±395 | 270,618 | no clear change |
Shields Township's population since 2000
From 43,382 in 2000 to 41,282 in 2025: down 4.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shields Township 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 Shields Township?
The median resident of Shields Township is 25.5 years old; 16.0% are under 18 and 13.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 53.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 23.2%. 13.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Shields Township | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.5±0.8 | 39.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.0%±1.4 pts | 23.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.7%±1.2 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Male | 57.9%±2.2 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 23.2%±2.5 pts | 24.9% | +5.9 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 53.4%±2.7 pts | 56.2% | −6.2 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 12.0%±2.0 pts | 6.3% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 6.2%±1.5 pts | 8.6% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.5%±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.0%±1.1 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5%±0.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 13.2%±1.6 pts | 19.8% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 26.3%±2.9 pts | 31.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.6%±1.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
| With a disability | 12.2%±2.7 pts | 9.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.8%±1.2 pts | 6.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.6%±1.3 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 55.1%±3.1 pts | 47.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 26.7%±3.4 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 67.8%±3.3 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 21.7%±2.4 pts | 2.9% | – |
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 Shields Township earn?
Half of Shields Township's 9,732 households earn less than $112,865 a year (±$11,387), against $110,416 in Lake County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $106,188 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Shields Township | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $112,865±$11,387 | $110,416 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $196,190±$15,241 | $155,726 | – |
| Per capita income | $58,591±$3,931 | $57,153 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.8%±2.6 pts | 8.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.6%±7.7 pts | 11.5% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.7%±1.9 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.5%±0.8 pts | 97.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.5%±2.2 pts | 94.3% | – |
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 Shields Township?
Owners occupy 65.5% of Shields Township's occupied homes and renters 34.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $620,800 by its owner (±$73,023). The median renter pays $1,680 a month including utilities, and 45.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Shields Township | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $620,800±$73,023 | $345,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,680±$89 | $1,477 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 45.1%±7.3 pts | 40.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $3,259±$230 | $2,503 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.5%±2.8 pts | 74.8% | +3.9 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 34.5%±2.8 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Housing units | 10,756±395 | 270,618 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.7%±0.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.3%±2.9 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 64.3%±3.4 pts | 66.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.1%±0.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1%±0.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.4%±2.9 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 17.4%±2.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.9%±2.3 pts | 4.6% | – |
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 do people in Shields Township work and get to work?
38.3% of Shields Township's workers drive alone and 29.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.4%.
| Measure | Shields Township | Lake County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.7%±2.3 pts | 68.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4%±2.0 pts | 5.2% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 38.3%±3.0 pts | 65.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.1%±1.5 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 4.9%±2.6 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Walked | 20.2%±3.5 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 29.7%±4.3 pts | 19.5% | +13.3 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.8 min±2.4 | 28.5 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 Shields Township?
10 census tracts lie mostly in Shields Township (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $51,513 (Tract 8630.04) to $245,375 (Tract 8634).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8630.03Lake County | 6,568 | not published |
| Tract 8632.02Lake County | 5,543 | $163,190 |
| Tract 8630.04Lake County | 4,658 | $51,513 |
| Tract 8635Lake County | 4,435 | $197,431 |
| Tract 8634Lake County | 4,396 | $245,375 |
| Tract 8630.05Lake County | 3,908 | not published |
| Tract 8632.01Lake County | 2,889 | $79,018 |
| Tract 8633Lake County | 2,532 | $243,750 |
| Tract 8631Lake County | 2,201 | $55,729 |
| Tract 8630.06Lake County | 493 | not published |
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 Shields Township) · Census block assignment files
How does Shields Township compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shields Township is the 216th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 58th-most populous of 1,407 in Illinois.
Shields Township ranks 202nd 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 | 58th | 1,407 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 29th | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 255th | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 202nd | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 122nd | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 31st | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 125th | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 584th | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 107th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 1,376th | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,174th | 1,382 |
| Work from home | 31st | 1,015 |
| Travel time to work | 1,088th | 1,382 |
Shields Township's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Shields Township 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 Shields Township?
4 of the 57 figures for Shields Township 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 Shields Township 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' school search.