Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
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.
Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, Wilmette has the largest share of adults with a bachelor's degree (83.6%), followed by Highland Park and Northbrook. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 100 places in Illinois that we cover, the median is 39.6% and the average 40.3%; the figure runs from 83.6% (Wilmette) to 10.8% (Cicero). That is a spread of 7.7 times between the two ends. The state figure is 37.9%; 54 of the 100 places are above it and 46 at or below.
The first five are Wilmette, Highland Park, Northbrook, Oak Park, Naperville. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Bachelor's degree or higher ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmette | Cook County | 83.6% | 27,503 | $190,662 | $1,978 |
| 2 | Highland Park | Lake County | 76.9% | 30,398 | $168,094 | $1,925 |
| 3 | Northbrook | Cook County | 72.6% | 34,585 | $157,782 | $2,463 |
| 4 | Oak Park | Cook County | 72.5% | 53,292 | $110,820 | $1,593 |
| 5 | Naperville | DuPage County | 72.5% | 150,692 | $155,105 | $1,885 |
| 6 | Evanston | Cook County | 69.5% | 76,340 | $96,434 | $1,762 |
| 7 | Buffalo Grove | Lake County | 68.7% | 42,891 | $129,395 | $2,037 |
| 8 | Glenview | Cook County | 68.3% | 47,752 | $143,056 | $2,148 |
| 9 | Glen Ellyn | DuPage County | 68.2% | 28,390 | $140,938 | $1,433 |
| 10 | Vernon Hills | Lake County | 67.8% | 26,876 | $121,943 | $1,903 |
| 11 | Park Ridge | Cook County | 66.1% | 38,667 | $142,986 | $1,537 |
| 12 | Wheaton | DuPage County | 64.5% | 53,557 | $120,008 | $1,799 |
| 13 | Elmhurst | DuPage County | 64.2% | 45,671 | $149,644 | $1,975 |
| 14 | Arlington Heights | Cook County | 60.4% | 76,005 | $116,723 | $1,760 |
| 15 | Downers Grove | DuPage County | 58.2% | 50,054 | $115,114 | $1,656 |
| 16 | Urbana | Champaign County | 56.8% | 39,341 | $45,346 | $972 |
| 17 | Gurnee | Lake County | 56.7% | 30,510 | $119,628 | $1,655 |
| 18 | Batavia | Kane County | 56.5% | 27,151 | $120,056 | $1,347 |
| 19 | Plainfield | Will County | 56.0% | 46,708 | $144,000 | $2,119 |
| 20 | Morton Grove | Cook County | 55.2% | 24,619 | $111,116 | $2,164 |
| 21 | Skokie | Cook County | 53.8% | 66,219 | $95,337 | $1,552 |
| 22 | Normal | McLean County | 52.9% | 53,569 | $64,785 | $965 |
| 23 | Champaign | Champaign County | 52.7% | 89,996 | $56,118 | $1,123 |
| 24 | Edwardsville | Madison County | 52.6% | 26,474 | $86,721 | $1,306 |
| 25 | O'Fallon | Saint Clair County | 52.4% | 32,262 | $105,982 | $1,332 |
| 26 | St. Charles | Kane County | 52.0% | 32,854 | $114,300 | $1,819 |
| 27 | Palatine | Cook County | 51.1% | 66,293 | $97,819 | $1,549 |
| 28 | Schaumburg | Cook County | 50.4% | 76,868 | $97,514 | $1,812 |
| 29 | Westmont | DuPage County | 50.1% | 23,724 | $88,090 | $1,533 |
| 30 | Lombard | DuPage County | 49.9% | 43,619 | $100,362 | $1,948 |
| 31 | Bartlett | DuPage County | 49.5% | 40,501 | $133,240 | $1,883 |
| 32 | Bloomington | McLean County | 48.8% | 78,907 | $77,384 | $1,050 |
| 33 | Mount Prospect | Cook County | 48.5% | 55,472 | $101,720 | $1,502 |
| 34 | Hoffman Estates | Cook County | 48.5% | 51,175 | $106,806 | $1,734 |
| 35 | New Lenox | Will County | 47.6% | 28,006 | $140,865 | $1,431 |
| 36 | Woodridge | DuPage County | 46.5% | 33,941 | $101,000 | $1,494 |
| 37 | Mundelein | Lake County | 46.0% | 31,915 | $108,340 | $1,566 |
| 38 | Orland Park | Cook County | 45.4% | 57,916 | $98,910 | $1,440 |
| 39 | Lockport | Will County | 44.5% | 26,409 | $111,981 | $1,525 |
| 40 | Chicago | Cook County | 44.3% | 2,711,226 | $77,902 | $1,440 |
| 41 | Oswego | Kendall County | 44.3% | 36,375 | $123,792 | $1,860 |
| 42 | Rolling Meadows | Cook County | 43.7% | 24,027 | $98,514 | $1,607 |
| 43 | Algonquin | McHenry County | 43.6% | 30,067 | $134,525 | $1,723 |
| 44 | Carol Stream | DuPage County | 42.8% | 39,460 | $102,309 | $1,529 |
| 45 | Huntley | McHenry County | 42.5% | 28,005 | $88,536 | $1,622 |
| 46 | Crystal Lake | McHenry County | 42.0% | 40,579 | $108,418 | $1,468 |
| 47 | Elk Grove Village | Cook County | 41.2% | 31,987 | $94,175 | $1,618 |
| 48 | Wheeling | Cook County | 40.8% | 38,433 | $85,205 | $1,663 |
| 49 | Homer Glen | Will County | 40.2% | 24,529 | $136,678 | $1,861 |
| 50 | Bolingbrook | Will County | 39.6% | 74,096 | $108,400 | $1,749 |
| 51 | Niles | Cook County | 39.3% | 30,064 | $75,274 | $1,336 |
| 52 | Des Plaines | Cook County | 38.9% | 59,156 | $97,875 | $1,606 |
| 53 | Aurora | Kane County | 38.5% | 179,898 | $93,633 | $1,596 |
| 54 | Yorkville | Kendall County | 37.9% | 23,617 | $108,513 | $1,662 |
| 55 | South Elgin | Kane County | 37.8% | 24,217 | $127,203 | $1,640 |
| 56 | Peoria | Peoria County | 37.6% | 112,169 | $59,410 | $1,005 |
| 57 | Tinley Park | Cook County | 37.0% | 54,842 | $105,189 | $1,495 |
| 58 | Springfield | Sangamon County | 36.3% | 113,330 | $66,064 | $975 |
| 59 | Lake in the Hills | McHenry County | 35.8% | 28,800 | $117,151 | $1,689 |
| 60 | DeKalb | DeKalb County | 33.7% | 40,443 | $46,481 | $1,029 |
| 61 | Elmwood Park | Cook County | 32.6% | 23,868 | $91,955 | $1,334 |
| 62 | West Chicago | DuPage County | 32.2% | 25,395 | $99,927 | $1,469 |
| 63 | Oak Lawn | Cook County | 31.6% | 56,861 | $83,911 | $1,335 |
| 64 | Oak Forest | Cook County | 31.2% | 26,805 | $91,990 | $1,328 |
| 65 | Collinsville | Madison County | 31.0% | 24,031 | $67,612 | $1,038 |
| 66 | Woodstock | McHenry County | 30.6% | 26,147 | $82,758 | $1,212 |
| 67 | Glendale Heights | DuPage County | 29.9% | 32,808 | $86,545 | $1,590 |
| 68 | Hanover Park | DuPage County | 28.9% | 36,732 | $91,763 | $1,594 |
| 69 | Moline | Rock Island County | 28.8% | 42,197 | $67,701 | $900 |
| 70 | Romeoville | Will County | 28.3% | 41,152 | $106,325 | $1,886 |
| 71 | Lansing | Cook County | 28.2% | 28,284 | $75,569 | $1,268 |
| 72 | Belleville | Saint Clair County | 28.0% | 41,370 | $63,535 | $1,019 |
| 73 | Quincy | Adams County | 27.8% | 39,109 | $56,480 | $837 |
| 74 | Streamwood | Cook County | 27.8% | 39,001 | $101,218 | $1,809 |
| 75 | Elgin | Kane County | 27.0% | 114,934 | $90,282 | $1,361 |
| 76 | McHenry | McHenry County | 25.7% | 28,074 | $86,315 | $1,553 |
| 77 | Joliet | Will County | 25.5% | 150,445 | $92,201 | $1,276 |
| 78 | Rock Island | Rock Island County | 24.5% | 36,151 | $59,041 | $842 |
| 79 | Carpentersville | Kane County | 24.3% | 37,346 | $86,917 | $1,414 |
| 80 | Berwyn | Cook County | 24.2% | 55,595 | $78,408 | $1,215 |
| 81 | Addison | DuPage County | 23.7% | 35,489 | $90,431 | $1,245 |
| 82 | Rockford | Winnebago County | 23.5% | 147,521 | $54,752 | $985 |
| 83 | Decatur | Macon County | 21.6% | 69,815 | $51,592 | $845 |
| 84 | Alton | Madison County | 21.5% | 25,279 | $54,568 | $1,015 |
| 85 | Calumet City | Cook County | 21.4% | 35,100 | $55,369 | $1,177 |
| 86 | Waukegan | Lake County | 20.9% | 89,076 | $71,919 | $1,205 |
| 87 | Chicago Heights | Cook County | 20.9% | 26,736 | $54,798 | $1,038 |
| 88 | North Chicago | Lake County | 20.8% | 30,643 | $60,172 | $1,426 |
| 89 | Galesburg | Knox County | 19.7% | 29,481 | $48,297 | $801 |
| 90 | Freeport | Stephenson County | 19.1% | 23,505 | $51,723 | $793 |
| 91 | Danville | Vermilion County | 19.0% | 28,595 | $45,957 | $846 |
| 92 | Pekin | Tazewell County | 17.9% | 31,781 | $60,790 | $819 |
| 93 | Round Lake Beach | Lake County | 16.2% | 27,079 | $86,059 | $1,543 |
| 94 | Burbank | Cook County | 15.6% | 28,739 | $80,116 | $1,265 |
| 95 | Granite City | Madison County | 15.6% | 26,549 | $59,205 | $834 |
| 96 | Zion | Lake County | 15.1% | 24,600 | $63,104 | $1,186 |
| 97 | Melrose Park | Cook County | 15.0% | 24,549 | $66,189 | $1,176 |
| 98 | Kankakee | Kankakee County | 13.0% | 23,996 | $47,514 | $1,023 |
| 99 | Belvidere | Boone County | 12.8% | 24,752 | $64,528 | $991 |
| 100 | Cicero | Cook County | 10.8% | 82,797 | $70,842 | $1,154 |
Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities Where Rent Takes the Smallest Share of Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Wilmette, with 83.6% (among the 100 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 100 largest places in Illinois by population.