Census tract · Cook County
Census Tract 8278.05, Cook County, Illinois
Census Tract 8278.05, GEOID 17031827805, in Cook County, Illinois, entirely within Thornton Township. 2,531 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±357); the 2020 Census counted 2,953.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,531
±357 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,953
Median household income
$97,500
±$25,841 (90% margin)
Cook County: $83,498
Median home value
$242,500
±$22,160 (90% margin)
Cook County: $324,500
Median gross rent
$2,569
±$981 (90% margin)
Cook County: $1,435
Where is Census Tract 8278.05?
Census Tract 8278.05 is one of 1,332 census tracts in Cook County, Illinois. It covers 1.10 square miles of land, 2,677 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 17031827805, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Thornton Township | 100% |
| South Holland | 90% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 8278.05: Tract 8275 ($73,043), Tract 8278.01 ($82,489), Tract 8278.04 ($80,458), Tract 8279.01 ($96,696) and Tract 8283 ($53,400). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 8278.05?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 8278.05's population at 2,531 (±357) in 946 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,953 residents and 1,114 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 8278.05 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,531±357 | 153,682 |
| Households | 946±151 | 58,792 |
| Average household size | 2.65±0.27 | 2.58 |
| Housing units | 1,017±127 | 67,747 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 8278.05?
The median resident of Census Tract 8278.05 is 42.1 years old; 26.9% are under 18 and 13.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 81.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 8.1%.
| Measure | Tract 8278.05 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.1±7.8 | 38.9 |
| Under 18 years | 26.9%±5.4 pts | 24.9% |
| 65 years and over | 13.0%±3.0 pts | 16.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.0%±6.1 pts | 16.0% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 5.1%±3.5 pts | 11.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 81.9%±8.2 pts | 68.9% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.5 pts | 1.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.1%±5.6 pts | 2.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.5 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 3.6%±4.1 pts | 9.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.5%±2.7 pts | 17.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.4%±4.5 pts | 5.0% |
| With a disability | 9.5%±3.0 pts | 13.8% |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.0%±1.5 pts | 9.2% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.0%±6.4 pts | 89.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 32.1%±10.1 pts | 21.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.2%±6.3 pts | 8.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.6%±6.3 pts | 89.5% |
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 Census Tract 8278.05 earn?
Half of the 946 households in Census Tract 8278.05 earn less than $97,500 a year (±$25,841), against $83,498 across Cook County: 433rd highest of the county's 1,258 tracts with a reliable estimate. 18.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 8278.05 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $97,500±$25,841 | $58,534 |
| Mean household income | $104,987±$21,175 | $74,316 |
| Per capita income | $39,668±$10,096 | $28,904 |
| People below the poverty line | 18.4%±11.4 pts | 20.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 29.1%±19.3 pts | 31.8% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 21.4%±9.6 pts | 25.5% |
| Households with a computer | 97.0%±3.0 pts | 95.3% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.2%±7.0 pts | 90.9% |
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 Census Tract 8278.05?
Owners occupy 89.1% of Census Tract 8278.05's occupied homes and renters 10.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,500 by its owner (±$22,160). The median renter pays $2,569 a month including utilities, and 75.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 8278.05 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $242,500±$22,160 | $156,800 |
| Median gross rent | $2,569±$981 | $1,203 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 75.0%±28.8 pts | 56.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,943±$239 | $1,646 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 89.1%±7.5 pts | 65.4% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 10.9%±7.5 pts | 34.6% |
| Housing units | 1,017±127 | 67,747 |
| Single-family detached homes | 99.1%±1.6 pts | 68.1% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±3.6 pts | 3.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±3.6 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.5%±2.6 pts | 1.0% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.1%±3.2 pts | 12.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.9%±3.3 pts | 12.4% |
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 Census Tract 8278.05 get to work?
72.6% of Census Tract 8278.05's workers drive alone and 12.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 39.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 16.9%.
| Measure | Tract 8278.05 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.5%±7.0 pts | 61.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 16.9%±7.5 pts | 11.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 72.6%±11.0 pts | 69.2% |
| Carpooled | 11.4%±9.0 pts | 9.5% |
| Public transportation | 1.5%±2.6 pts | 7.2% |
| Walked | 0.0%±3.8 pts | 1.9% |
| Worked from home | 12.8%±6.1 pts | 10.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 39.3 min±5.9 | 32.0 min |
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
How does Census Tract 8278.05 compare with the other tracts in Cook County?
Among Cook County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 8278.05 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Cook County |
|---|---|
| Population | 993rd of 1,328 |
| Residents per square mile | 1,205th of 1,331 |
| Median household income | 433rd of 1,258 |
| Per capita income | 682nd of 1,325 |
| Median home value | 909th of 1,279 |
| Median gross rent | 53rd of 1,254 |
| Poverty rate | 363rd of 905 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 741st of 1,264 |
| Median age | 372nd of 1,327 |
| Owner-occupied share | 148th of 1,300 |
The tracts next to it on Cook County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3201.02 | 430th | $97,725±$36,952 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2226 | 431st | $97,632±$15,764 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1403.02 | 432nd | $97,574±$25,282 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1407.01 | 433rd | $97,500±$25,342 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8278.05 | 433rd | $97,500±$25,841 |
| Tract 2425 | 435th | $97,438±$26,204 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8103.01 | 436th | $96,960±$7,749 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 8278.05?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 8278.05 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections