Census tract · Cook County
Census Tract 8297, Cook County, Illinois
Census Tract 8297, GEOID 17031829700, in Cook County, Illinois, entirely within Bloom Township. 2,778 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±578); the 2020 Census counted 3,344.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,778
±578 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,344
Median household income
$60,680
±$10,154 (90% margin)
Cook County: $83,498
Median home value
$200,100
±$50,872 (90% margin)
Cook County: $324,500
Median gross rent
$1,056
±$98 (90% margin)
Cook County: $1,435
Where is Census Tract 8297?
Census Tract 8297 is one of 1,332 census tracts in Cook County, Illinois. It covers 7.13 square miles of land, 469 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 17031829700, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Bloom Township | 100% |
| Ford Heights | 47% |
| Steger | 13% |
| Sauk Village | 9% |
| Chicago Heights | 4% |
| South Chicago Heights | 4% |
| Crete | 4% |
| Glenwood | 1% |
| Lynwood | 1% |
9 census tracts border Census Tract 8297: Tract 8285.03 ($62,153), Tract 8285.04 ($71,154), Tract 8287.02 ($90,263), Tract 8290, Tract 8291 ($33,958), Tract 8295 ($58,691), Tract 8296 ($68,472), Tract 8837 in Will County ($65,037) and Tract 8838.10 in Will County ($114,125). 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 8297?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 8297's population at 2,778 (±578) in 1,067 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,344 residents and 1,263 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 8297 | Bloom Township |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,778±578 | 83,966 |
| Households | 1,067±140 | 30,214 |
| Average household size | 2.60±0.40 | 2.73 |
| Housing units | 1,349±149 | 33,741 |
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 8297?
The median resident of Census Tract 8297 is 44.7 years old; 19.0% are under 18 and 17.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 55.9%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 31.1%.
| Measure | Tract 8297 | Bloom Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.7±5.4 | 38.2 |
| Under 18 years | 19.0%±7.0 pts | 24.9% |
| 65 years and over | 17.9%±3.4 pts | 16.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.0%±6.3 pts | 20.8% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 31.1%±13.4 pts | 25.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 55.9%±13.0 pts | 48.0% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.5%±2.4 pts | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3%±1.4 pts | 4.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.4 pts | 0.8% |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2%±1.9 pts | 9.5% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.9%±3.1 pts | 18.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.7%±2.6 pts | 5.6% |
| With a disability | 21.0%±9.7 pts | 14.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.6%±3.8 pts | 9.0% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.7%±4.4 pts | 88.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.1%±7.9 pts | 27.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.4%±2.6 pts | 9.5% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.9%±3.7 pts | 91.4% |
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 8297 earn?
Half of the 1,067 households in Census Tract 8297 earn less than $60,680 a year (±$10,154), against $83,498 across Cook County: 946th highest of the county's 1,258 tracts with a reliable estimate. 15.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 8297 | Bloom Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,680±$10,154 | $73,530 |
| Mean household income | $86,107±$23,045 | $89,473 |
| Per capita income | $33,624±$8,063 | $32,806 |
| People below the poverty line | 15.8%±7.7 pts | 17.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 23.8%±20.4 pts | 24.3% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 33.2%±8.2 pts | 22.5% |
| Households with a computer | 91.1%±5.5 pts | 95.0% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.0%±6.5 pts | 90.1% |
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 8297?
Owners occupy 74.3% of Census Tract 8297's occupied homes and renters 25.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $200,100 by its owner (±$50,872). The median renter pays $1,056 a month including utilities, and 50.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 8297 | Bloom Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $200,100±$50,872 | $180,300 |
| Median gross rent | $1,056±$98 | $1,246 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 50.0%±18.2 pts | 39.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,488±$220 | $1,738 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.3%±8.0 pts | 72.1% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.7%±8.0 pts | 27.9% |
| Housing units | 1,349±149 | 33,741 |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.0%±5.7 pts | 72.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 4.8% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 0.4% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 2.6% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.4%±1.6 pts | 8.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 15.3%±6.2 pts | 8.2% |
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 8297 get to work?
79.3% of Census Tract 8297's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 31.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 14.3%.
| Measure | Tract 8297 | Bloom Township |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.8%±7.9 pts | 63.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 14.3%±8.5 pts | 11.0% |
| Drove alone to work | 79.3%±12.0 pts | 72.7% |
| Carpooled | 6.4%±7.9 pts | 7.5% |
| Public transportation | 6.6%±6.4 pts | 4.6% |
| Walked | 0.0%±3.6 pts | 1.4% |
| Worked from home | 7.7%±9.4 pts | 10.5% |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.0 min±5.5 | 33.4 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 8297 compare with the other tracts in Cook County?
Among Cook County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 8297 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Cook County |
|---|---|
| Population | 929th of 1,328 |
| Residents per square mile | 1,324th of 1,331 |
| Median household income | 946th of 1,258 |
| Per capita income | 817th of 1,325 |
| Median home value | 1,078th of 1,279 |
| Median gross rent | 1,114th of 1,254 |
| Poverty rate | 423rd of 905 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 914th of 1,264 |
| Median age | 232nd of 1,327 |
| Owner-occupied share | 377th of 1,300 |
The tracts next to it on Cook County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8231.02 | 943rd | $60,938±$23,783 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 2311 | 944th | $60,859±$26,421 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 4902 | 945th | $60,741±$15,359 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8297 | 946th | $60,680±$10,154 |
| Tract 8077 | 947th | $60,671±$22,369 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5203 | 948th | $60,639±$10,836 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 307.02 | 949th | $60,603±$14,553 · 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 8297?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 8297 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