Latest Census city estimates released May 14, 2026 · Population as of July 1, 2025 · Next city estimates scheduled for May 2027. Release schedule
Elgin, Illinois population is 115,476 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #268 nationally and #6 in Illinois. Cost of living runs 3.6% above the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); the four-person spending scenario corresponds to modeled gross income of $120,830/yr (TY2026 tax assumptions; partial scenario excluding unverified local income tax). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
115,476 people live in Elgin as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #268 largest U.S. city.
How big is Elgin?
Elgin covers 38.3 square miles of land and 0.6 square miles of water. Its population density is about 3,019 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 0.6% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 114,819 → 2025: 115,476 (+0.6%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
114,819
April 1, 2020
2020
114,614
July 1, 2020
2021
114,060
July 1, 2021
2022
113,310
July 1, 2022
2023
113,988
July 1, 2023
2024
114,988
July 1, 2024
2025
115,476
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 2.3% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Elgin is the #268 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #6 in Illinois.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
114,819
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+657
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+0.6%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+488
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.4%
within V2025 only
Density
3,019
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
38.3
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#268
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#6
of 1,294 in Illinois
What is the median household income in Elgin?
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: household income $80,734 ± $166; per-capita income $44,673 ± $122. Margins are at 90% confidence. Comparison badges describe point estimates; they are not significance tests.
Median household income is 12% above the U.S. median ($90,282 vs $80,734); 9.8% live in poverty, 2.6 points below the 12.5% U.S. estimate.
Median household income$90,282
US
Elgin: $90,282 — 12% above the US median of $80,734.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Elgin
$90,282
United States
$80,734
Income and poverty estimates for Elgin from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
$90,282+11.8% vs US
±$3,200
Per capita income
$37,057-17.0% vs US
±$1,493
Population in poverty
9.8% ± 1.3 percentage points
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 18% below the U.S. median ($273,000 vs $332,700); median rent is 4% below ($1,361 vs $1,413); the ratio of median home value to median household income is 3.0× versus 4.1× nationally; this compares two distributions and does not measure an individual household's housing burden.
Median home value$273,000
US
Elgin: $273,000 — 18% below the US median of $332,700.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data; censored rows retained in the distribution
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,781/mo
US
Elgin: $1,781/mo — 65% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: home value $332,700 ± $236; gross rent $1,413 ± $2. Comparison badges describe estimates and do not establish statistical significance.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median value, owner-occupied units
$273,000-17.9% vs US
±$6,383
Median gross rent
$1,361-3.7% vs US
±$65
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR (FY2026)
$1,781-23.6% vs US
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area· 40th-percentile gross rent · HUD methodology
Owner-occupied share
71.9% ± 2.4 percentage points
of occupied housing units
Price-to-income ratio
3.0x± 0.13x approximate 90% MOE-26.6% vs US
median home value ÷ median household income · U.S. ratio: 4.1x
Rent-burdened (≥30% of income)
49.0% ± 5.1 percentage points-4.1% vs US
renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 51.1%
Severely rent-burdened (≥50%)
25.1% ± 4.2 percentage points-3.2% vs US
renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 25.9%
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Elgin. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
5.7%
Elgin (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
59,457
2025 annual avg
Worked from home
12.8% ± 1.4 percentage points-15.6% vs US
share of workers 16+ working from home · U.S. share: 15.1% · ACS
County context — Elgin spans 2 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Kane County
7.3%
$103,587
4.7%
Cook County
13.7%
$82,729
4.8%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Elgin's linked 2 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2025 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
423,172
$1,269 / wk
#2
Accommodation and food services (72)
251,887
$717 / wk
#3
Professional and technical services (54)
246,769
$2,834 / wk
#4
Retail trade (44-45)
233,351
$834 / wk
#5
Manufacturing (31-33)
211,914
$1,665 / wk
What workers earn in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is the largest tracked occupation in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro (157,920 jobs, median $40,550/yr).
▸Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
157,920
$40,550
$19.50
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
108,520
$38,180
$18.36
Cashiers
99,240
$35,010
$16.83
Fast Food and Counter Workers
97,280
$34,630
$16.65
Stockers and Order Fillers
79,850
$38,450
$18.48
Customer Service Representatives
75,240
$47,100
$22.65
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
70,000
$38,470
$18.49
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
122,930
$109,390
$52.59
Registered Nurses · benchmark
100,240
$100,490
$48.31
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
96,950
$35,820
$17.22
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
62,210
$62,300
$29.95
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 3.6% above the U.S. average (RPP 103.6); utilities run 16.4% below (RPP 83.6) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 103.6
US
Elgin's cost of living runs 3.6% above the U.S. average (RPP 103.6 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 103.6
+3.6% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,781/mo
FY2026 · Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
4.95%
flat · TY2026
Four-person monthly spending scenario
$10,069/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
One-person monthly spending scenario
$3,846/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
Local income tax
—
Unverified and excluded from the spending scenario; not a verified zero
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
26.4% ± 1.3 percentage points foreign-born (U.S. share 14.1%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (39.8% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Elgin's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
Public school districts serving Elgin, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts, and one district often serves multiple cities. Sorted primary district first. See methodology §12 for the consolidated-city fallback and Milford CT special case.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in Elgin?
Hottest month: July (84°F avg high). Coldest: January (15°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 38.2 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Elgin from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 94.6–100.0/100 across 2 counties; most-cited top hazard is Cold Wave (in 1 of 2).
Natural-hazard exposure for Elgin from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Elgin spans 2 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Kane County
94.6
Relatively High
Cold Wave 99.2 Very High · Tornado 98.6 Relatively High · Riverine Flooding 95.5 Relatively High
Cook County
100.0
Very High
Winter Weather 100.0 Very High · Cold Wave 100.0 Very High · Tornado 100.0 Very High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Elgin?
12 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 83% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Elgin from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of December 31, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
12 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
9
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
82.9%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
82.9%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
44,041
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of December 31, 2025 · methodology →
In-state context.
Elgin sits at state rank #6 among 1,294 cities in Illinois. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Waterbury, CT · #267 · 115,771 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Greeley, CO · #269 · 115,073 residents.
Quick travel facts for Elgin
Quick travel facts.
Elevation
813 ft · at city centroid, from USGS 3D Elevation Program
Nearest scheduled-service airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport(ORD) · 22 mi 35 km from city centroid
Sources: elevation from USGS 3DEP · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (OurAirports type=large/medium and scheduled_service=yes; not an FAA service classification) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Elgin.
How many people live in Elgin, IL?
Elgin has 115,476 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #268 largest city in the United States and #6 in Illinois. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Elgin growing or shrinking?
Elgin has grown 0.6% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 657 residents, including a 0.4% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
Elgin covers 38.3 square miles of land, with a population density of about 3,019 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Elgin?
$90,282, about 12% above the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID1723074
Last build2026-10-09
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for Elgin is 1723074. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
