Census tract · Cook County
Census Tract 8291, Cook County, Illinois
Census Tract 8291, GEOID 17031829100, in Cook County, Illinois, entirely within Chicago Heights and Bloom Township. 3,151 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±668); the 2020 Census counted 3,512.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,151
±668 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,512
Median household income
$33,958
±$19,268 (90% margin)
Cook County: $83,498
Median home value
$93,200
±$36,527 (90% margin)
Cook County: $324,500
Median gross rent
$960
±$116 (90% margin)
Cook County: $1,435
Where is Census Tract 8291?
Census Tract 8291 is one of 1,332 census tracts in Cook County, Illinois. It covers 1.01 square miles of land, 3,481 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 17031829100, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Chicago Heights | 100% |
| Bloom Township | 100% |
7 census tracts border Census Tract 8291: Tract 8289 ($46,979), Tract 8290, Tract 8292 ($54,787), Tract 8294.01 ($57,386), Tract 8294.02 ($57,560), Tract 8295 ($58,691) and Tract 8297 ($60,680). 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 8291?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 8291's population at 3,151 (±668) in 1,220 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,512 residents and 1,470 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 8291 | Chicago Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,151±668 | 26,736 |
| Households | 1,220±198 | 9,224 |
| Average household size | 2.58±0.43 | 2.81 |
| Housing units | 1,528±188 | 10,613 |
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 8291?
The median resident of Census Tract 8291 is 38.4 years old; 21.8% are under 18 and 24.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 59.2%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 20.6%. 18.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 8291 | Chicago Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.4±10.2 | 35.2 |
| Under 18 years | 21.8%±9.7 pts | 27.2% |
| 65 years and over | 24.7%±7.5 pts | 14.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 59.2%±15.5 pts | 35.5% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 20.6%±11.2 pts | 21.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 20.3%±14.0 pts | 40.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 1.2% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 1.0% |
| Born outside the United States | 18.5%±7.1 pts | 14.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 51.1%±12.5 pts | 31.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.3%±1.5 pts | 4.9% |
| With a disability | 10.5%±5.2 pts | 13.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.8%±8.0 pts | 11.8% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 65.7%±9.4 pts | 84.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 6.5%±4.5 pts | 20.9% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.3%±2.1 pts | 6.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.1%±3.0 pts | 90.9% |
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 Census Tract 8291 earn?
Half of the 1,220 households in Census Tract 8291 earn less than $33,958 a year (±$19,268), against $83,498 across Cook County: 1,199th highest of the county's 1,258 tracts with a reliable estimate. 29.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 8291 | Chicago Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $33,958±$19,268 | $54,798 |
| Mean household income | $57,163±$11,793 | $75,717 |
| Per capita income | $22,973±$4,457 | $26,891 |
| People below the poverty line | 29.9%±10.6 pts | 26.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.9%±20.5 pts | 31.4% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 29.5%±12.7 pts | 29.9% |
| Households with a computer | 75.0%±12.7 pts | 92.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 72.1%±12.2 pts | 87.5% |
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 8291?
Owners occupy 45.1% of Census Tract 8291's occupied homes and renters 54.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $93,200 by its owner (±$36,527). The median renter pays $960 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 8291 | Chicago Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $93,200±$36,527 | $161,000 |
| Median gross rent | $960±$116 | $1,038 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 32.6%±22.0 pts | 41.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,334±$42 | $1,626 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 45.1%±12.5 pts | 63.4% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 54.9%±12.5 pts | 36.6% |
| Housing units | 1,528±188 | 10,613 |
| Single-family detached homes | 55.8%±12.4 pts | 69.3% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 0.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 4.3% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.3%±10.2 pts | 15.9% |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.6%±8.1 pts | 9.9% |
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 8291 get to work?
77.0% of Census Tract 8291's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 8.0%.
| Measure | Tract 8291 | Chicago Heights |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.4%±9.4 pts | 60.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0%±5.0 pts | 14.6% |
| Drove alone to work | 77.0%±13.8 pts | 72.5% |
| Carpooled | 13.9%±10.6 pts | 11.3% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±2.8 pts | 4.7% |
| Walked | 0.4%±0.3 pts | 0.5% |
| Worked from home | 3.2%±3.8 pts | 6.7% |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.7 min±4.0 | 30.1 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 8291 compare with the other tracts in Cook County?
Among Cook County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 8291 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Cook County | In Chicago Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 837th of 1,328 | 5th of 9 |
| Residents per square mile | 1,141st of 1,331 | 4th of 9 |
| Median household income | 1,199th of 1,258 | 8th of 8 |
| Per capita income | 1,170th of 1,325 | 5th of 9 |
| Median home value | 1,268th of 1,279 | 8th of 8 |
| Median gross rent | 1,189th of 1,254 | 6th of 8 |
| Poverty rate | 148th of 905 | 4th of 8 |
| Median age | 658th of 1,327 | 3rd of 9 |
| Owner-occupied share | 892nd of 1,300 | 7th of 8 |
The tracts next to it on Cook County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 6909 | 1,196th | $34,330±$12,450 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2518 | 1,197th | $34,220±$9,537 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 6903 | 1,198th | $33,986±$9,102 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8291 | 1,199th | $33,958±$19,268 |
| Tract 4909.01 | 1,200th | $33,398±$3,874 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 4305 | 1,201st | $33,322±$14,250 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8378 | 1,202nd | $33,159±$20,061 · 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 8291?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 8291 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