Illinois population, migration and demographics

Illinois had 12,719,141 residents on July 1, 2025, the 6th largest state after Pennsylvania (13,059,432) and ahead of Ohio (11,900,510). It is the largest in the Midwest and holds 3.72% of the US population. Its change since the April 2020 estimates base, −102,600, is the 3rd lowest¹ of any state. This page covers the state as a whole; the site does not publish city or county figures.

Peak, decline and a slow return

By the Census Bureau's July 1 estimates, Illinois reached its highest population in 2014, at 12,968,905. The estimate then fell every year until 2022, when it stood at 12,609,577. It rose to 12,633,389 in 2023, 12,703,033 in 2024 and 12,719,141¹ in 2025.

IllinoisIndianaWisconsinMissouriUnited States

Source: Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2000-2010; Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2010-2020; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. July 1 estimates: intercensal series for 2000–2019, Vintage 2025 for 2020–2025.

Show the numbers

Year	Illinois	Indiana	Wisconsin	Missouri	United States
2010	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
2011	100.4	100.5	100.4	100.3	100.8
2012	100.6	100.8	100.7	100.5	101.6
2013	100.9	101.4	101.2	100.8	102.4
2014	101.0	101.8	101.5	101.1	103.2
2015	100.9	102.1	101.8	101.3	104.0
2016	100.8	102.6	102.1	101.6	104.8
2017	100.6	103.0	102.5	102.0	105.6
2018	100.3	103.6	102.9	102.2	106.2
2019	100.0	104.2	103.3	102.5	106.7
2020	99.6	104.6	103.6	102.7	107.2
2021	98.9	105.0	103.3	102.9	107.3
2022	98.2	105.4	103.7	103.1	108.0
2023	98.3	106.0	104.2	103.5	108.8
2024	98.9	106.8	104.7	104.1	109.9
2025	99.0	107.4	104.9	104.6	110.5

The 2020 Census counted 12,812,508 people, against 12,830,632 in 2010: a change of −0.1%, the 3rd lowest of any state and 7.5 percentage points below the US figure (7.4%)⁶. Because House seats are shared out by population, Illinois lost one seat after that census (−1), leaving it with 17¹¹.

The recent gains are small. Between July 2024 and July 2025 the state added 16,108 people, a growth rate of 0.13%: the 10th lowest rate in the country, the lowest in the Midwest and lower than every bordering state (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin)¹.

Losing residents to other states, gaining them from abroad

Population changes through births minus deaths, net moves to and from other states (domestic migration) and net moves to and from other countries (international migration). Since April 2020, Illinois has run a large deficit in the second and a large surplus in the third.

Births+672,636

Deaths−635,528

Net domestic migration−456,378

Net international migration+313,691

Residual (estimation adjustment)+2,979

Total change−102,600

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Each bar starts where the previous one ended. The residual is the part of the change the Census Bureau cannot assign to a component.

Show the numbers

Component	People
Births	672,636
Deaths	−635,528
Net domestic migration	−456,378
Net international migration	313,691
Residual (estimation adjustment)	2,979
Total change	−102,600

From April 2020 to June 2025, net domestic migration was −456,378: that many more people left Illinois for other states than came from them. Only California (−1,691,867) and New York (−1,106,013) lost more. Net international migration added 313,691, the 6th highest figure, and births exceeded deaths by 37,108¹.

Michigan−65,699

Maryland−134,770

Louisiana−143,806

Massachusetts−182,145

New Jersey−222,194

Illinois−456,378

New York−1,106,013

California−1,691,867

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025.

Show the numbers

State	Net domestic migration since 2020
Michigan	−65,699
Maryland	−134,770
Louisiana	−143,806
Massachusetts	−182,145
New Jersey	−222,194
Illinois	−456,378
New York	−1,106,013
California	−1,691,867

The domestic loss peaked at −149,904 in the year to June 2022 and has narrowed every year since: −79,784 in 2023, −53,080 in 2024 and −40,017 in 2025. Illinois still ranked 3rd lowest in 2025. Net international migration moved the other way, rising from 11,432 in 2021 to 111,121 in 2024. From 2023 it was large enough to make total net migration positive: 14,362 in 2023 and 58,041¹ in 2024.

In the year to June 2025, net international migration fell to 44,752, and total net migration to 4,735. Growth that year rested on natural increase of 10,903 (68% of the total gain) and on the international inflow, which equalled 278%¹ of the gain because the domestic component was negative.

Where Illinois movers go, and who stays

The Census Bureau's 2024 survey of movers counted 282,434 people who left Illinois for another state, the 5th highest number, and 199,996 who arrived. The net figure of −82,438 (±17,898) was the 3rd lowest¹² of any state.

Moved to Illinois from

Texas18,189 ±3,474

California15,128 ±2,843

Wisconsin14,131 ±2,749

Indiana14,098 ±3,099

Florida12,751 ±2,882

New York11,082 ±3,600

Missouri10,892 ±2,510

Michigan9,418 ±2,605

Left Illinois for

Indiana25,727 ±3,764

Florida24,410 ±4,381

Wisconsin24,045 ±3,201

Texas23,509 ±4,417

California19,953 ±5,236

Missouri18,362 ±3,110

Michigan12,464 ±2,739

Tennessee10,866 ±3,232

Source: Census Bureau, State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024. People aged 1 and over who lived in another state a year earlier (and the reverse). Survey estimates: whiskers show the 90% margin of error.

Show the numbers

State	Moved in from	Moved out to
Texas	18,189 ±3,474	23,509 ±4,417
California	15,128 ±2,843	19,953 ±5,236
Wisconsin	14,131 ±2,749	24,045 ±3,201
Indiana	14,098 ±3,099	25,727 ±3,764
Florida	12,751 ±2,882	24,410 ±4,381
New York	11,082 ±3,600	–
Missouri	10,892 ±2,510	18,362 ±3,110
Michigan	9,418 ±2,605	12,464 ±2,739
Tennessee	–	10,866 ±3,232

Most moves link Illinois with its neighbors and with Florida, Texas and California. The most common destinations were Indiana (25,727), Florida (24,410), Wisconsin (24,045) and Texas (23,509); the survey cannot separate the top two (not statistically different from the flow to Florida). The same states also sent the most people to Illinois, led by Texas (18,189) and California (15,128¹²).

On tax returns filed for 2022 and 2023, 233,804 people left Illinois and 179,622 arrived, a net change of −54,182. The departing households reported $15.2 billion of adjusted gross income and the arriving ones $9.2 billion, a net balance of −$6.0 billion, the 3rd lowest¹³ among the states.

Those who stay are mostly natives of the state. In 2025, 65.6% of residents were born in Illinois (9.2 percentage points above the US figure (56.4%)), and only 17.5% were born in another state, the 4th lowest¹⁴ share in the country. Most residents stay put from year to year: 89.9% lived in the same home a year earlier, 1.5 percentage points above the US figure (88.4%)¹⁵.

What percent of Illinois is white, Black, Hispanic and Asian

The American Community Survey puts the non-Hispanic white share at 55.8% (±0.1 percentage points) in 2025, down from 57.1% in 2024. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 19.8%, non-Hispanic Black residents 13.2%, non-Hispanic Asian residents 6.5% and people of two or more races 4.1%².

The Black share is 1.5 percentage points above the US figure (11.7%) and the Asian share is not statistically different from the US figure (6.5%). The Hispanic share is 0.7 percentage points below the US figure (20.5%)², but its makeup differs: people of Mexican origin are 14.4% of all residents (2020–2024), 3.1 percentage points above the US figure (11.3%) and the 7th highest¹⁷ share among the states, while Puerto Rican, Central American and Cuban shares are all below the national figures.

The diversity index, the chance that two residents picked at random belong to different race or ethnic groups, is 62.6: 15th most diverse nationally and more diverse than every bordering state (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin)¹⁶. In the Census Bureau's population estimates, the non-Hispanic white share was 56.7% in July 2025, down from 59.1% in 2020¹⁸.

Asian Indian, Chinese and Filipino residents

Asian Indians are the largest Asian group in Illinois: 288,287 people (±16,204), or 2.3%¹⁹ of residents, the 3rd highest share of any state. The state also has the 5th highest Pakistani share and the 7th highest²⁰ Filipino share.

Density: the most urban state in the Midwest

With 229.1 people per square mile, Illinois is the 14th most densely populated state, 137% above the US figure (96.7 people per square mile) and denser than every bordering state (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin)²². At the 2020 Census, 86.9% of residents lived in urban areas, the highest in the Midwest and 6.9 percentage points above the US figure (80.0%); the rural share was 13.1%²³.

The urban pattern shows in how people travel. In 2025, 7.4% of workers took public transportation to work, the 5th highest share and 3.6 percentage points above the US figure (3.8%)²⁴. 11.2% of households had no vehicle, 2.4 percentage points above the US figure (8.8%)²⁵.

Age: fewer children, more older residents

The median age in Illinois was 39.7 years (±0.1 years) in 2025, 0.2 years above the US figure (39.5 years); allowing for the margins of error it ranks between 23rd and 34th³ from youngest. In 2005 the median was 35.6 years²⁶.

MenWomenUnited States

MenWomen

85+

80–84

75–79

70–74

65–69

60–64

55–59

50–54

45–49

40–44

35–39

30–34

25–29

20–24

15–19

10–14

5–9

0–4

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Share of the total population in each age group. Vertical ticks: the United States.

Show the numbers

Age	Men (%)	Women (%)	US men (%)	US women (%)
0-4	2.60	2.49	2.76	2.65
5-9	2.90	2.81	2.96	2.83
10-14	3.05	2.91	3.08	2.95
15-19	3.32	3.13	3.31	3.16
20-24	3.44	3.28	3.43	3.28
25-29	3.48	3.41	3.46	3.37
30-34	3.45	3.43	3.41	3.38
35-39	3.37	3.37	3.38	3.40
40-44	3.26	3.31	3.21	3.27
45-49	3.05	3.13	2.93	3.03
50-54	2.92	3.03	2.83	2.96
55-59	2.92	3.05	2.86	3.02
60-64	2.98	3.20	2.96	3.21
65-69	2.76	3.08	2.75	3.08
70-74	2.22	2.60	2.26	2.64
75-79	1.61	2.01	1.71	2.08
80-84	0.94	1.31	1.00	1.32
85+	0.79	1.38	0.78	1.28

Residents under 18 numbered 2,618,601 in 2025, down from 2,819,197 in 2020, a fall of 200,596 (7.1%). Residents aged 65 and older numbered 2,379,145, up from 2,098,227 in 2020, a rise of 280,918 (13.4%). Older residents now make up 18.7% of the population, 0.2 percentage points below the US figure (18.9%)¹⁸.

Births have declined each year since 2021, from 131,839 to 125,129 in the year to June 2025. The birth rate of 9.8 per 1,000 residents was the lowest in the Midwest and lower than every bordering state (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin). The total fertility rate in 2024 was 1.47 births per woman, the 9th lowest²⁷ in the country. Deaths have fallen faster than births, from 128,445 to 114,226, so natural increase widened from 3,394 to 10,903¹.

Women outnumber men by 240,643 (±8,837²⁸). The sex ratio of 96.3 men per 100 women is not statistically different from the US figure (96.4)²⁹.

Income, poverty and prices

Half of Illinois households had income above $86,676 in 2025 (±$814), $1,896 (2%) above the US figure ($84,780). After inflation the median was up from $85,401 in 2024 (in 2025 dollars). Allowing for the margins of error, Illinois ranks between 18th and 21st⁴.

The official poverty rate was 11.5% (±0.3 percentage points), not statistically different from the US figure (11.8%); 1,424,283⁵ people lived below the poverty line. Administrative counts of benefit programs measure something different. An average of 1,895,979 people received SNAP benefits each month in fiscal 2025, 14.9% of the population, 2.6 percentage points above the US figure (12.3%) and the 10th highest³⁰ share. In June 2026, 2,958,135 people were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, 23.3%³¹ of residents.

Incomes are spread more widely than in neighboring states. The Gini index of 0.478 is 1% below the US figure (0.482) but more unequal than Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin; not statistically different from Kentucky³³.

Prices match the national level: the Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the state's 2024 price index at 100.0 (US = 100), more expensive than every bordering state (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin)³⁴. Housing costs less than nationally. The median value of an owner-occupied home was $294,400, $76,700 (21%) below the US figure ($371,100)³⁵, and the median gross rent was $1,419, $138 (9%) below the US figure ($1,557)³⁶.

The highest Muslim share, and a Catholic plurality

Asked what percent of Illinois is Muslim, the closest available figure comes from the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, whose mosque study estimated 473,792 people taking part in Illinois mosques. That is 3.70% of residents, the highest in the nation, and the 3rd most³⁷ number after New York and California. It counts mosque participants, not every Muslim in the state.

The Catholic Church remains the largest body by far: 3,099,544 adherents, 24.2% of residents, the 10th highest share, though down from 28.4% in 2010. Synagogues counted 70,716 members. Altogether 50.8% of Illinoisans were on a congregation's books, higher than every bordering state (Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin)³⁷. These lists come from congregations, not residents; the religion overview explains their limits.

Polish, Urdu and Gujarati: immigrants and languages

1,984,938 Illinois residents were born outside the United States, 15.6% of the population, the 12th highest share and the 6th highest number. The mix of birthplaces differs from the national one: 18.3% of the state's immigrants were born in Europe, 8.8 percentage points above the US figure (9.5%), and 44.8% in Latin America, 5.5 percentage points below the US figure (50.3%)¹⁴.

That mix shows in the languages spoken at home. 161,770 Illinois residents aged five and older speak Polish at home, the largest number of any state and the highest share. Illinois also has the highest share of Urdu speakers and the 2nd highest³⁹ share of Gujarati speakers. After English, the most common language is Spanish (1,754,221³⁸ speakers).

In all, 25.0% of residents aged five and older speak a language other than English at home, 2.1 percentage points above the US figure (22.9%), and 9.1%⁴⁰ speak English less than "very well".

Ancestry, as people report it themselves, points the same way. The most common in 2025 were German (1,832,721), Irish (1,279,633), English (817,632), Polish (691,110) and Italian (635,268⁴¹). Illinois has the 2nd largest number of residents of Polish ancestry among the states and the 3rd largest⁴² number of Swedish ancestry.

Households: few divorces, many people living alone

Illinois's divorce rate was 1.3 per 1,000 residents in 2024, the 2nd lowest among the states that report one and 43% below the US figure (2.3 per 1,000 residents). Its marriage rate, 5.2 per 1,000 residents, was also low: 17% below the US figure (6.3 per 1,000 residents)⁴³. Among people 15 and older, 37.1% have never married, the 6th highest⁴⁴ share.

Households are getting smaller. The average fell from 2.65 people in 2005 to 2.42⁴⁵ in 2025, while the number of households rose from 4,691,020²⁶ to 5,134,283. In 31.9% of households one person lives alone, 2.7 percentage points above the US figure (29.2%); allowing for the margins of error the state ranks between 4th and 15th⁴⁶.

Housing: old homes, few empty ones

Only 6.7% of Illinois housing units were vacant in 2025, 2.9 percentage points below the US figure (9.6%). That is the 2nd lowest share in the country; allowing for the margins of error, Illinois ranks between 47th and 51st⁴⁷ of the 50 states and DC. The housing stock is old: 20.3% of homes were built before 1940, 9.0 percentage points above the US figure (11.3%), and 7.3% in 2010 or later, 7.6 percentage points below the US figure (14.9%)⁴⁸. The median home was built in 1971⁴⁹.

IllinoisUnited States

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025. ACS 1-year estimates; no standard 1-year release for 2020. Adjusted to 2025 dollars with the CPI-U annual average. Shaded band: 90% margin of error.

Show the numbers

Year	Illinois	United States
2005	$1,210 ±$10	$1,200 ±$3
2006	$1,215 ±$8	$1,218 ±$3
2007	$1,216 ±$8	$1,225 ±$3
2008	$1,213 ±$9	$1,232 ±$3
2009	$1,243 ±$8	$1,264 ±$3
2010	$1,252 ±$7	$1,262 ±$3
2011	$1,229 ±$7	$1,247 ±$3
2012	$1,217 ±$7	$1,240 ±$3
2013	$1,223 ±$7	$1,251 ±$3
2014	$1,231 ±$10	$1,270 ±$3
2015	$1,271 ±$8	$1,303 ±$3
2016	$1,274 ±$8	$1,316 ±$3
2017	$1,279 ±$8	$1,329 ±$3
2018	$1,276 ±$9	$1,356 ±$3
2019	$1,284 ±$10	$1,381 ±$3
2021	$1,314 ±$10	$1,415 ±$2
2022	$1,287 ±$10	$1,430 ±$3
2023	$1,308 ±$13	$1,486 ±$3
2024	$1,357 ±$12	$1,526 ±$3
2025	$1,419 ±$17	$1,557 ±$4

Adjusted for inflation, the median rent was $1,210²⁶ in 2005 (in 2025 dollars) and $1,419³⁶ in 2025. Homeownership is 67.8%, 2.5 percentage points above the US figure (65.3%)⁵⁰.

HUD's January 2025 point-in-time count found 14,576 people experiencing homelessness, down from 25,832 a year earlier (−43.6%⁵¹).

Education, work and health

39.1% of adults aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 1.7 percentage points above the US figure (37.4%), up from 29.2%²⁶ in 2005; the state ranks between 13th and 19th⁵². Unemployment averaged 4.6% in 2025, 0.3 percentage points above the US figure (4.3%)⁵³.

The CDC's 2022 state life table gives Illinois a life expectancy at birth of 77.5 years, the same as the US figure (77.5 years)⁵⁴. 7.2% of residents had no health insurance in 2025, 1.2 percentage points below the US figure (8.4%)⁵⁵. Veterans are a smaller part of the adult population than in most states: 450,893 people, 4.5% of civilian adults, 1.4 percentage points below the US figure (5.9%)⁵⁶.