Census tract · Cook County
Census Tract 8279.01, Cook County, Illinois
Census Tract 8279.01, GEOID 17031827901, in Cook County, Illinois, entirely within Thornton Township. 1,963 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±275); the 2020 Census counted 2,421.
Residents, 2020-2024
1,963
±275 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,421
Median household income
$96,696
±$11,872 (90% margin)
Cook County: $83,498
Median home value
$291,700
±$29,346 (90% margin)
Cook County: $324,500
Median gross rent
$3,500 or more
The survey's top or bottom value; no margin is published
Cook County: $1,435
Where is Census Tract 8279.01?
Census Tract 8279.01 is one of 1,332 census tracts in Cook County, Illinois. It covers 1.57 square miles of land, 1,539 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 17031827901, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Thornton Township | 100% |
| South Holland | 70% |
| Lansing | 15% |
| Calumet City | 2% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 8279.01: Tract 8262.01 ($44,409), Tract 8278.02 ($86,042), Tract 8278.04 ($80,458), Tract 8278.05 ($97,500), Tract 8279.02 ($64,507) and Tract 8282.01 ($67,813). 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 8279.01?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 8279.01's population at 1,963 (±275) in 684 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,421 residents and 889 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 8279.01 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,963±275 | 153,682 |
| Households | 684±52 | 58,792 |
| Average household size | 2.63±0.32 | 2.58 |
| Housing units | 688±55 | 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 8279.01?
The median resident of Census Tract 8279.01 is 51.2 years old; 20.0% are under 18 and 32.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 82.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 9.6%.
| Measure | Tract 8279.01 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.2±8.2 | 38.9 |
| Under 18 years | 20.0%±6.0 pts | 24.9% |
| 65 years and over | 32.7%±6.8 pts | 16.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.6%±1.8 pts | 16.0% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 9.6%±6.1 pts | 11.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 82.7%±8.5 pts | 68.9% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 4.1%±5.0 pts | 1.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.9 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.9 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.9%±1.7 pts | 2.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.9 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 5.1%±5.0 pts | 9.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.7%±10.6 pts | 17.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.3%±2.5 pts | 5.0% |
| With a disability | 19.8%±6.4 pts | 13.8% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.2%±2.1 pts | 9.2% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.4%±3.6 pts | 89.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 36.9%±7.8 pts | 21.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 21.4%±6.8 pts | 8.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.2%±2.8 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 8279.01 earn?
Half of the 684 households in Census Tract 8279.01 earn less than $96,696 a year (±$11,872), against $83,498 across Cook County: 437th highest of the county's 1,258 tracts with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Tract 8279.01 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,696±$11,872 | $58,534 |
| Mean household income | $127,410±$28,785 | $74,316 |
| Per capita income | $46,779±$10,402 | $28,904 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.0%±6.2 pts | 20.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.3%±19.7 pts | 31.8% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.8%±5.8 pts | 25.5% |
| Households with a computer | 97.1%±2.8 pts | 95.3% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 97.4%±2.3 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 8279.01?
Owners occupy 95.2% of Census Tract 8279.01's occupied homes and renters 4.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $291,700 by its owner (±$29,346). The median renter pays $3,500 or more a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 8279.01 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $291,700±$29,346 | $156,800 |
| Median gross rent | $3,500 or more | $1,203 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 100.0%±96.0 pts | 56.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,382±$247 | $1,646 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 95.2%±4.5 pts | 65.4% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 4.8%±4.5 pts | 34.6% |
| Housing units | 688±55 | 67,747 |
| Single-family detached homes | 98.4%±2.5 pts | 68.1% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±5.3 pts | 3.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.5%±3.5 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±5.3 pts | 1.0% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.8%±3.2 pts | 12.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5%±3.8 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 8279.01 get to work?
65.7% of Census Tract 8279.01's workers drive alone and 14.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 37.0 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 8279.01 | Thornton Township |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.5%±6.3 pts | 61.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2%±4.8 pts | 11.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 65.7%±12.7 pts | 69.2% |
| Carpooled | 14.8%±13.8 pts | 9.5% |
| Public transportation | 4.0%±3.7 pts | 7.2% |
| Walked | 1.3%±1.8 pts | 1.9% |
| Worked from home | 14.2%±6.8 pts | 10.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 37.0 min±4.7 | 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 8279.01 compare with the other tracts in Cook County?
Among Cook County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 8279.01 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Cook County |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,125th of 1,328 |
| Residents per square mile | 1,281st of 1,331 |
| Median household income | 437th of 1,258 |
| Per capita income | 527th of 1,325 |
| Median home value | 714th of 1,279 |
| Median gross rent | 1st of 1,254 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 664th of 1,264 |
| Median age | 56th of 1,327 |
| Owner-occupied share | 42nd of 1,300 |
The tracts next to it on Cook County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Tract 8279.01 | 437th | $96,696±$11,872 |
| Tract 8223.02 | 438th | $96,683±$15,857 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2426 | 439th | $96,607±$23,450 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8033 | 440th | $96,587±$25,976 · 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 8279.01?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 8279.01 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