City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Wilmette, IL

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

27,550
Residents
$192,300
Median income
$802,200
Median home
$1,781
Median rent (state)

Wilmette - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Wilmette lands in the 98th percentile for household income and the 55th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

98th
percentile, household income
95th
percentile, home value
72nd
percentile, median rent
55th
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: Wilmette, IL

Illinois's Wilmette is a small city, with 27,550 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Wilmette households earn a median of $192,300 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.8%. Home values in Wilmette run a median of $802,200, and the median resident age is 45.7 years. 84.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 24 residential building permits were authorized in Wilmette (Slowing), down 17% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Wilmette reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1210.4 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below 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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,781 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $240 across Illinois, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Wilmette workers runs 23.8 minutes, with 42.8% driving alone and 32.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 96.0 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

27,550 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Illinois

Median Household Income

$192,300 /yr

Poverty 2.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

How does Wilmette compare to other US cities?

Wilmette measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 98% higher than other cities
Home value 95% pricier than other cities
Median rent 72% pricier than other cities
Safety 55% safer than other cities

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

Zoom in to just Illinois and the picture shifts: Wilmette ranks #276 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

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

Illinois-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Wilmette's strongest outlier among Illinois cities

Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Wilmette ranks #5 - the 100th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Wilmette only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#22 of 1,311
98th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#17 of 1,336
77th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#11 of 1,315
99th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#1,045 of 1,335
21st percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#5 of 1,336
100th 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.

98thIncome percentile
55thSafety percentile

98th percentile nationally for median household income · 55th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Wilmette's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Wilmette'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 57 Avg. percentile National median
Wilmette'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 Wilmette's home value compares nationally

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

$802,200 5th percentile more affordable than 5% 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%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Wilmette $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 - Wilmette, IL Wilmette, IL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL median $192,300/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%
Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 84.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.4%

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

Population
27,550
Median Income
$192,300
Median Home Value
$802,200
Median Age
45.7
Poverty Rate
2.8%
Labor force participation
58.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
84.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1210.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
22.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1187.9
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
7
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
27,000 residents27,500 residents28,000 residents28,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 28,079 residents 27,459 residents ▼ -2.2%
Wilmette's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
24
housing units authorized
Single-Family
24
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 29
2020 40
2021 21
2022 21
2023 19
2024 24

Permit volume decreased 17% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.8 minutes
Drive Alone
42.8%
Carpool
3.4%
Public Transit
16.4%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
32.0%
Other
2.9%

Based on 11,851 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 Wilmette 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
96.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Illinois

New Lenox
27,456 people
McHenry
27,774 people
Huntley
27,859 people
Round Lake Beach
27,081 people
Chicago Heights
26,938 people
Oak Forest
26,888 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Wilmette's 27,550 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Ilchester, MD
27,552 people
Silver Springs Shores, FL
27,556 people
Lochearn, MD
27,591 people
Belmont, CA
27,505 people
Mililani, HI
27,495 people
Marshalltown, IA
27,491 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Wilmette's $192,300 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Manhasset Hills, NY
$192,198 median income
Malibu, CA
$192,159 median income
Pinecrest, FL
$192,477 median income
Centerport, NY
$192,530 median income
Santa Fe Foothills, NM
$192,630 median income
Broomes Island, MD
$191,944 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 80.0% 11.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.0% White 80.0% Black or African American 0.6% Asian 11.9% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.0% Two or more races 5.4% 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 Wilmette 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
Wilmette (this city) 27,550 $192,300
New Lenox 27,456 $133,071
McHenry 27,774 $86,865
Huntley 27,859 $86,349
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Wilmette, IL?

What is the population of Wilmette, IL? +

Wilmette, IL has a population of 27,550 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Wilmette runs $192,300, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Wilmette? +

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

Wilmette has a total crime rate of 1210.4 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 Wilmette, IL? +

Homes in Wilmette carry a median value of $802,200, 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

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.