City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

West Chicago, IL

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

25,434
Residents
$100,568
Median income
$306,500
Median home
$1,781
Median rent (state)

West Chicago - the verdict

Nationally, West Chicago sits in the 78th percentile for household income and the 72nd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

78th
percentile, household income
66th
percentile, home value
72nd
percentile, median rent
72nd
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: West Chicago, IL

West Chicago is a small city in Illinois, home to 25,434 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in West Chicago brings in $100,568 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 9.7%. Home values in West Chicago run a median of $306,500, and the median resident age is 35.8 years. Educational attainment runs 32.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 2 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 100% from five years earlier. West Chicago reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 797.0 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Illinois scores 100.0 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. 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 West Chicago report an average commute of 24.1 minutes, with 66.2% driving alone and 10.6% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.6 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

25,434 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Illinois

Median Household Income

$100,568 /yr

Poverty 9.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

How does West Chicago compare to other US cities?

Where West Chicago sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 78% higher than other cities
Home value 66% pricier than other cities
Median rent 72% pricier than other cities
Safety 72% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Illinois, West Chicago ranks #196 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below West Chicago's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Illinois, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

78thIncome percentile
72ndSafety percentile

78th percentile nationally for median household income · 72nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

West Chicago's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

West Chicago'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 60 Avg. percentile National median
West Chicago'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 West Chicago's home value compares nationally

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

$306,500 34th percentile more affordable than 34% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $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. West Chicago $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 - West Chicago, IL West Chicago, IL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not West Chicago, 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 West Chicago, IL median $100,568/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%
West Chicago, 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 West Chicago, IL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.4%

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

Population
25,434
Median Income
$100,568
Median Home Value
$306,500
Median Age
35.8
Poverty Rate
9.7%
Labor force participation
65.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
797.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
184.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
612.8
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
12
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
25,000 residents25,200 residents25,400 residents25,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 25,562 residents 25,296 residents ▼ -1.0%
West Chicago's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 25
2021 2
2022 1
2023 1
2024 2

Permit volume increased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.1 minutes
Drive Alone
66.2%
Carpool
18.3%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
10.6%
Other
2.8%

Based on 12,894 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 West Chicago 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
97.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Illinois

Alton
25,430 people
Morton Grove
24,687 people
Lockport
26,228 people
Woodstock
26,316 people
Homer Glen
24,516 people
Melrose Park
24,513 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to West Chicago's 25,434 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Reedley, CA
25,446 people
Northdale, FL
25,420 people
Reading, MA
25,448 people
Avon Lake, OH
25,456 people
Bailey's Crossroads, VA
25,458 people
West Whittier-Los Nietos, CA
25,459 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to West Chicago's $100,568 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Milliken, CO
$100,567 median income
Paxtonia, PA
$100,573 median income
Rio Pinar, FL
$100,574 median income
Turin, NY
$100,560 median income
Berryville, VA
$100,547 median income
Folsom, PA
$100,544 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - West Chicago, 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 West Chicago, IL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 44.6% 10.4% 24.1% 17.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 48.0% White 44.6% Black or African American 3.7% Asian 10.4% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 24.1% Two or more races 17.0% 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 West Chicago 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
West Chicago (this city) 25,434 $100,568
Alton 25,430 $53,005
Morton Grove 24,687 $106,078
Lockport 26,228 $113,252
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about West Chicago, IL?

What is the population of West Chicago, IL? +

West Chicago, IL has a population of 25,434 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in West Chicago, IL? +

The median household income in West Chicago is $100,568 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in West Chicago? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for West Chicago; 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 West Chicago, IL safe? +

West Chicago has a total crime rate of 797.0 per 100,000 residents, which is below 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 West Chicago, IL? +

The median home value in West Chicago is $306,500, 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 Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.