Jobs, pay and daily life in North Chicago, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
North Chicago is a city in Illinois with 30,643 residents. The median household earns $60,172 a year and the median rent is $1,426 a month, which is 28.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 4,513,280 jobs.
How North Chicago compares. Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, North Chicago is #62 by population, #100 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #11 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #12 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Lake County, is #1 of 102 counties for average pay ($91,042).
North Chicago has 30,643 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Illinois. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,832 people per square mile. The median age is 23.2, 41% younger than the state median (23.2 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $1,426 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% above the state median ($1,426 against $1,274). Over a year that is 28.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $159,600, which is 2.7 times the median household income ($60,172); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 32.6% of households own their home, 51% below the state average (32.6% against 67.1%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area has 4,513,280 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $54,720 a year, 7% above the national median ($54,720 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (488,940 jobs, median $48,840); transportation and material moving (484,580 jobs, median $45,920); management (404,010 jobs, median $131,890). The area is most specialised in management (1.2 times) and transportation and material moving (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($131,890) and legal ($112,440). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Lake County was 3.6%. 38.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Lake County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 40.8% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 22.3% walk, 25.5% work from home. 6.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 67% below the state average (6.6% against 19.7%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
20.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45% below the state share (20.8% against 37.9%). 19.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 30% above the state share (19.2% against 14.8%). The poverty rate is 24.5%, 107% above the state rate (24.5% against 11.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 21°F (-6.1°C). About 971 mm (38 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (123 mm) and Jan the driest (42 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Waukegan (4 miles, rent 15% lower); Gurnee (5 miles, rent 16% higher); Vernon Hills (8 miles, rent 33% higher); Mundelein (9 miles, rent 10% higher). Rent differences are against North Chicago; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Illinois (1,066) →State guide: IllinoisCountry guideLake CountyIllinois rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,066 federal postings open in Illinois (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Illinois →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 157,920 | 1.84 | $40,550 | $31,860 | $56,440 | +1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 122,930 | 1.21 | $109,390 | $58,000 | $298,090 | +3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 108,520 | 0.87 | $38,180 | $35,030 | $42,500 | +7% |
| Registered Nurses | 100,240 | 1.02 | $100,490 | $77,410 | $119,260 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 99,240 | 1.11 | $35,010 | $31,200 | $41,280 | +6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 97,280 | 0.87 | $34,630 | $31,200 | $38,610 | +11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 96,950 | 0.86 | $35,820 | $31,200 | $48,580 | +1% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 79,850 | 0.97 | $38,450 | $33,310 | $49,100 | +3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 75,240 | 1.00 | $47,100 | $34,480 | $71,530 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 70,000 | 1.09 | $38,470 | $32,760 | $50,000 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 66,840 | 0.93 | $46,330 | $32,580 | $72,910 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 62,210 | 1.04 | $62,300 | $41,300 | $88,230 | +6% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 55,730 | 1.53 | $70,710 | $39,570 | $154,540 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 54,100 | 0.82 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $50,410 | -11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 50,190 | 1.01 | $50,440 | $34,300 | $78,820 | +6% |
| Security Guards | 48,360 | 1.30 | $39,990 | $35,940 | $64,180 | +5% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 47,970 | 1.18 | $43,650 | $34,160 | $61,580 | -2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 46,770 | 1.13 | $37,840 | $31,200 | $48,100 | +3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 45,850 | 1.09 | $46,940 | $38,980 | $54,450 | +11% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 45,840 | 1.14 | $78,390 | $48,960 | $105,250 | +23% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 3,610 | 0.61 | $344,960 | $142,940 | $599,520 | +61% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 6,360 | 2.11 | $293,490 | $179,840 | $429,040 | +26% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 840 | 0.56 | $265,880 | $103,490 | $479,410 | +12% |
| Psychiatrists | 600 | 0.74 | $258,750 | $134,770 | $487,560 | -8% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 960 | 1.01 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 680 | 0.35 | $226,060 | $67,080 | $521,810 | -12% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,430 | 0.46 | $225,080 | $94,990 | $320,380 | -8% |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 1,120 | 1.81 | $208,000 | $208,000 | $369,800 | -29% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 850 | 1.30 | $189,780 | $89,690 | $225,680 | +28% |
| Pediatricians, General | 860 | 0.75 | $188,340 | $106,520 | $379,260 | -10% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 24,950 | 1.28 | $173,760 | $112,980 | $280,060 | -1% |
| Financial Managers | 41,590 | 1.70 | $168,810 | $103,490 | $321,200 | +1% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,270 | 0.72 | $167,040 | $87,010 | $293,270 | -0% |
| Lawyers | 28,320 | 1.29 | $165,660 | $87,070 | $331,140 | +4% |
| Marketing Managers | 17,400 | 1.52 | $165,340 | $98,400 | $277,220 | -1% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 6,670 | 1.04 | $163,430 | $112,440 | $235,240 | -5% |
| Sales Managers | 25,390 | 1.37 | $158,690 | $80,060 | $288,430 | +7% |
| Commercial Pilots | 840 | 0.61 | $157,420 | $51,890 | $376,830 | +28% |
| Human Resources Managers | 10,810 | 1.69 | $156,770 | $93,230 | $270,150 | +5% |
| Dentists, General | 5,910 | 1.64 | $156,100 | $123,920 | $290,850 | -9% |
These figures are for the whole Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $54,720 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.2% |
| Manufacturing | 14.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.0% |
| Retail trade | 9.5% |
| Public administration | 7.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.7% |
| Construction | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.4% |
| Other services | 2.6% |
| Information | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where North Chicago lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 714,223 | $82,869 million | $116,027 | 329,354 | 19,967 | $91,042 | +0.5% | 3.6% | 365,784 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 52,776 | 18.2% | $144,717 | 1.95 |
| Retail trade | 36,424 | 12.6% | $55,434 | 1.11 |
| Health care and social assistance | 32,507 | 11.2% | $64,636 | 0.69 |
| Accommodation and food services | 25,069 | 8.7% | $30,025 | 0.84 |
| Administrative and waste services | 23,865 | 8.2% | $70,615 | 1.23 |
| Wholesale trade | 22,920 | 7.9% | $138,370 | 1.77 |
| Professional and technical services | 18,915 | 6.5% | $112,929 | 0.83 |
| Finance and insurance | 14,099 | 4.9% | $130,454 | 1.05 |
| Construction | 12,776 | 4.4% | $90,037 | 0.74 |
| Management of companies | 11,045 | 3.8% | $164,492 | 1.99 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 9,231 | 3.2% | $61,064 | 0.93 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8,521 | 2.9% | $51,354 | 0.61 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 7,252 | 2.5% | $84,004 | 1.31 |
| Educational services | 6,122 | 2.1% | $46,629 | 0.90 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,345 | 1.2% | $102,654 | 0.65 |
| Information | 2,194 | 0.8% | $110,174 | 0.36 |
| Utilities | 1,693 | 0.6% | $157,766 | 1.35 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 431 | 0.1% | $49,769 | 0.16 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 102 | 0.0% | $101,274 | 0.08 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 40.8% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 22.3% |
| Work from home | 25.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,172 |
| Income per person | $24,592 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,426 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 28.4% |
| Median home value | $159,600 |
| Homeowners | 32.6% |
| Poverty rate | 24.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 103.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $54,720 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 23.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 81.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 20.8% |
| Born abroad | 19.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 38.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -6.1 | 21 | 42 |
| Feb | -4.8 | 23 | 46 |
| Mar | 1.7 | 35 | 62 |
| Apr | 7.7 | 46 | 92 |
| May | 13.8 | 57 | 113 |
| Jun | 19.6 | 67 | 123 |
| Jul | 22.8 | 73 | 100 |
| Aug | 22.1 | 72 | 104 |
| Sep | 18.0 | 64 | 94 |
| Oct | 10.4 | 51 | 83 |
| Nov | 3.5 | 38 | 57 |
| Dec | -3.0 | 27 | 55 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan | IL | 4 mi | 89,076 | $71,919 | $1,205 |
| Gurnee | IL | 5 mi | 30,510 | $119,628 | $1,655 |
| Vernon Hills | IL | 8 mi | 26,876 | $121,943 | $1,903 |
| Mundelein | IL | 9 mi | 31,915 | $108,340 | $1,566 |
| Highland Park | IL | 10 mi | 30,398 | $168,094 | $1,925 |
| Zion | IL | 10 mi | 24,600 | $63,104 | $1,186 |
| Buffalo Grove | IL | 12 mi | 42,891 | $129,395 | $2,037 |
| Round Lake Beach | IL | 12 mi | 27,079 | $86,059 | $1,543 |
| Northbrook | IL | 13 mi | 34,585 | $157,782 | $2,463 |
| Wheeling | IL | 13 mi | 38,433 | $85,205 | $1,663 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
30,643 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,426 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 28.4% of the median household income.
$60,172 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Lake County (latest month 2026M09)).
Illinois. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.