How the metro is changing
Population and household income across Cook County, compared between two American Community Survey 5-year vintages (2021 and 2023). Both sit on the same census-tract map, so the tract-by-tract change is a real signal, not a boundary artifact.
5,185,812
Population (ACS 2023)
5,265,398 in 2021
-79,586 (-1.5%)
$81,797
Median household income (ACS 2023)
$72,121 in 2021
+$9,676 nominal
1,332
Census tracts compared
2021 vs 2023, same geography
Where the change landed
Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, table-based Summary File — Tables B01003 (total population) and B19013 (median household income), tract + county rollup for Cook County, IL. Median income is nominal (not inflation-adjusted). · as of ACS 2021 & 2023 5-year
Population-change distribution + biggest movers (table)
| Population change | Census tracts |
|---|---|
| Strong decline (≤ -10%) | 138 |
| Decline (-10% to -3%) | 435 |
| Roughly stable (±3%) | 434 |
| Growth (+3% to +10%) | 213 |
| Strong growth (≥ +10%) | 108 |
| Tract (GEOID) | Pop. 2021 | Pop. 2023 | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17031080400 | 4,699 | 5,986 | +1,287 | +27.4% |
| 17031320101 | 7,952 | 9,208 | +1,256 | +15.8% |
| 17031380600 | 4,044 | 5,236 | +1,192 | +29.5% |
| 17031081800 | 11,295 | 12,366 | +1,071 | +9.5% |
| 17031080300 | 5,018 | 6,063 | +1,045 | +20.8% |
| 17031843500 | 10,528 | 8,470 | -2,058 | -19.5% |
| 17031530503 | 5,574 | 4,160 | -1,414 | -25.4% |
| 17031520400 | 4,805 | 3,739 | -1,066 | -22.2% |
| 17031823002 | 5,611 | 4,684 | -927 | -16.5% |
| 17031510200 | 4,017 | 3,138 | -879 | -21.9% |
Source: US Census ACS 5-year Summary File, tables B01003 + B19013. Methodology + receipts: docs/architecture/DATA_SOURCES.md.