City safety & data profile

DeKalbIL

DeKalb, IL is a 43K-resident city in DeKalb County with a median household income of $46,481.

DeKalb County, Illinois. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for DeKalb, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. DeKalb has a population larger than 76% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $204,700, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

43K
Population
Top 24%
By size
$46,481
Median income
$204,700
Median home
24.9%
Poverty rate

The read on DeKalb

DeKalb posts a median household income higher than 5% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 recent safety alert is on record and 1 hospital serves the DeKalb area.

Top 95%
by median income, US cities
1
safety alert on record
1
hospital in & near DeKalb

Where DeKalb income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$46,481 Bottom 5% higher than 5% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IL $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading DeKalb, IL beyond the headline numbers

DeKalb sits inside DeKalb County, Illinois, at roughly 41.93°N, -88.75°W. Population 43,211, $46,481 median household income. Median home value $204,700, median rent $1,029. Poverty rate 24.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: DeKalb's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 37.3%, then short sleep duration at 37.1%. 1 hospital in/around DeKalb, 5/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for DeKalb from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
43,211
DeKalb
Median Income
$46,481
-32% vs avg
Median Home Value
$204,700
-10% vs avg
Median Age
26.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (DeKalb County) - DeKalb's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
101K-4%
Median Income
$70,724+33%
Median Home Value
$243,600+41%
Poverty Rate
14.8%-22%
Unemployment
6.8%-36%

Economics

Economics indicators for DeKalb, IL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,029/mo
Poverty Rate
24.9% +75% vs avg
Unemployment 10.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 33.7%
Work From Home 6.3%
Public Transit 1.1%

Population

White 60.5%
African American 14.1%
Asian 4.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.4%

Health Profile 14 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
37.3%
Short Sleep Duration
37.1%
High Blood Pressure
29.6%
Physical Inactivity
26%
Frequent Mental Distress
20.9%
Binge Drinking
18.8%
Current Smoking
14.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
13%
Lack of Health Insurance
12%
Current Asthma
11.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 56.6%
Annual Checkup 74.6%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
5%
Stroke
2.8%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
5/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE KISHWAUKEE HOSPITAL
DEKALB · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★

Alerts & News - DeKalb Area 1

Weather Alerts high

Flood Warning Issued for North Fork Peachtree Creek in DeKalb County, Georgia

NOAA ·

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of DeKalb, IL? ▼
DeKalb, IL has a population of 43,211 people, located in DeKalb County, Illinois.
What is the median household income in DeKalb? ▼
The median household income in DeKalb, IL is $46,481 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 24.9%.
What is the median home value in DeKalb? ▼
The median home value in DeKalb, IL is $204,700. Median rent is $1,029/month.
What are the top health concerns in DeKalb? ▼
The top health indicators in DeKalb include Obesity (37.3%), Short Sleep Duration (37.1%), High Blood Pressure (29.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in DeKalb? ▼
DeKalb has 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in DeKalb? ▼
The median age in DeKalb, IL is 26.1 years. 33.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

DeKalb, IL is located in DeKalb County, Illinois. With a population of 43K and a $46,481 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the DeKalb area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Illinois

Real-time AQI for every monitored Illinois location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Sycamore, IL 18K Plano, IL 11K Wasco, IL 23K Belvidere, IL 25K Village of Campton Hills, IL 13K Huntley, IL 26K Yorkville, IL 18K North Aurora, IL 17K
All cities in Illinois → Compare DeKalb vs Sycamore → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using DeKalb's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the DeKalb area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare DeKalb against Illinois peers on any ranking lens. Explore Illinois

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (DeKalb County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.