Illinois

Name: Illinois Economic Profile
Creator: ExecutivePulse

FIPS 17 · Population 12,694,798

6 Sources Updated June 22, 2026

12.7M ▼

Population

334,922,499 U.S.

$83,390 ▲

Median Income

$80,734 national

$1,148.1B

GDP

Unemployment

4% national

Community Data / United States / Illinois

County Map Demographics Economy Industry Concentration Housing Workforce Counties AI Insights

County Map

Click a county to view its economic profile

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Household

$83,390

Per Capita

$46,406

Mean Household

$115,638

Poverty Rate

11.8% ▼

Age & Race / Ethnicity

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003

Cohorts

Under 18 · 21.8%

18-34 · 22.7%

35-54 · 25.7%

55-64 · 12.8%

65+ · 17%

Race & Ethnicity

White61%

Black or African American13.6%

Asian6%

Hispanic or Latino(any race)18.8%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+

90.5%

High School+

National: 89.6%

▲ +0.9 pts

37.8%

Bachelor's+

National: 35.7%

▲ +2.1 pts

15.3%

Graduate+

National: 14.1%

▲ +1.2 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates

12,694,798

Population

6,674,020

Labor Force

Employed

6,263,764

Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual

Mean Commute 1 min above national avg

27.8 min

Work From Home vs 15.1% national

15.9%

Illinois's median household income sits 3% above the national median. At 11.8%, its poverty rate runs 0.7 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 37.8% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.

Key Takeaways

Broadly in line with U.S. norms across income, poverty, education, and age.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$1,148.1B

Gross Domestic Product · 2024

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · SAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual

Industry	Employment	% of Top Sectors	Avg Wage
1Health Care and Social Assistance	865,895	19.3%	$66,118
2Manufacturing	569,596	12.7%	$90,882
3Retail Trade	568,521	12.6%	$43,191
4Accommodation and Food Services	505,689	11.3%	$31,538
5Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	439,858	9.8%	$131,194
6Administrative and Support and Waste Management	393,887	8.8%	$62,562
7Transportation and Warehousing	314,055	7.0%	$70,167
8Finance and Insurance	299,553	6.7%	$166,981
9Wholesale Trade	297,475	6.6%	$109,894
10Construction	239,900	5.3%	$93,920

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Key Takeaways

Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 865,895 workers (19.3% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $66,118.
Economic scale: State GDP of $1,148.1B (2024).

Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.

Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Concentrated Industries

Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces specialization the supersector view masks.

Air Transportation

1.83x

40,748

Monetary Authorities - Central Bank

1.75x

1,402

Machinery Manufacturing

1.57x

66,691

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles

1.55x

2,037

Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries

LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, potential attraction targets. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector

0.06x

Forestry and Logging

112 employed

0.12x

Support Activities for Mining

1,248 employed

0.16x

Oil and Gas Extraction

723 employed

0.20x

Fishing, Hunting and Trapping

57 employed

0.25x

Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry

3,644 employed

0.26x

Textile Mills

836 employed

0.43x

Pipeline Transportation

930 employed

0.46x

Animal Production and Aquaculture

4,785 employed

Key Takeaways

Top specialization: Air Transportation concentrates at 1.83x the national norm.
Cluster depth: 4 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.

Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.

Industry Employment Composition

Illinois's Top Sectors by Workforce Share

Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of the top private supersectors. Hover for exact employment.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064

$263,300 ▲

Median Home Value vs 2019

$1,274 ▲

Rent/Mo

67.1% ▲

Owner-Occ

7.7% ▼

Vacancy

3.2x

Home Value to Income Ratio

vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)

Renter-household-weighted average across 102 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026

Studio

$1,278/mo$632 to $1,480

1 Bedroom

$1,369/mo$698 to $1,581

2 Bedroom

$1,579/mo$916 to $2,050

3 Bedroom

$2,038/mo$1,098 to $2,819

4 Bedroom

$2,334/mo$1,213 to $2,918

30% of monthly median household income (~$2,085/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.

Key Takeaways

In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.2x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.

Source: Census ACS housing tables.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301

7,765,245 ▼

Working Age (18-64) vs 2019

▼ vs 2019

Mean Commute

27.8 min

Work From Home

15.9%

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard

Bachelor's+

37.8%

HS Diploma+

90.5%

Top Institutions

Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 15,945/yr

Chamberlain University-Illinois 11,893/yr

Northwestern University 9,725/yr

DeVry University-Illinois 9,399/yr

University of Illinois Chicago 8,607/yr

University of Chicago 7,328/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables

20.9%

55-64 of working-age population (18-64)

Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+

Management / Professional

43.3%

Service

15.7%

Sales & Office

19.5%

Construction / Maint.

Production / Transport

14.5%

Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 6,263,764 employed workers.

Key Takeaways

Source: ACS workforce data.

County Profiles

102 counties in Illinois

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 6 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Illinois shows emerging potential for air transportation attraction, with a 1.83x concentration and 40,748 jobs in this sub-sector.

Cluster depth across air transportation, monetary authorities - central bank, and machinery manufacturing creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk

High

Healthcare Growth Forecast

+4.2% CAGR

Remote Work Migration

67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing

92/100

Life Sciences

84/100

Data Centers

71/100

Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024

BLS QCEW2025

BEA Regional GDP2024

Census CBP2024

HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026

USAspending.govFY2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Illinois, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Illinois?

12,694,798 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Illinois?

$83,390 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Illinois?

5% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Illinois?

$1,148.1B (BEA SAGDP (state GDP)).

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