City safety & data profile

Des PlainesIL

Des Plaines, IL is a 59K-resident city in Cook County with a median household income of $97,875.

Cook County, Illinois. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Des Plaines, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Des Plaines has a population larger than 83% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $335,600, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

59K
Population
Top 17%
By size
$97,875
Median income
$335,600
Median home
6%
Poverty rate

The read on Des Plaines

Des Plaines posts a median household income higher than 67% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Des Plaines area.

Top 33%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Des Plaines

Where Des Plaines income ranks nationally

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

$97,875 Top 33% higher than 67% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Des Plaines, IL beyond the headline numbers

Des Plaines sits inside Cook County, Illinois, at roughly 42.03°N, -87.88°W. Population 58,677, $97,875 median household income. Median home value $335,600, median rent $1,606. Poverty rate 6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Des Plaines's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 33.1%, then high blood pressure at 29.9%. 1 hospital in/around Des Plaines, 0 with an ER.

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

Population
58,677
Des Plaines
Median Income
$97,875
+44% vs avg
Median Home Value
$335,600
+47% vs avg
Median Age
42.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cook County) - Des Plaines'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
5.2M-1%
Median Income
$83,498+53%
Median Home Value
$324,500+40%
Poverty Rate
13.5%-20%
Unemployment
7%-43%

Economics

Economics indicators for Des Plaines, IL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,606/mo
Poverty Rate
6% -58% vs avg
Unemployment 4.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 38.9%
Work From Home 13.9%
Public Transit 4%

Population

White 56.9%
African American 4.1%
Asian 14.9%
Two or More Ethnicities 1%

Health Profile 14 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
33.1%
High Blood Pressure
29.9%
Obesity
26.8%
Physical Inactivity
21.4%
Binge Drinking
18.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
13.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.4%
Current Smoking
10.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
10%
Current Asthma
9.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 65.4%
Annual Checkup 77.8%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
5.6%
Stroke
3.1%

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Des Plaines, IL? ▼
Des Plaines, IL has a population of 58,677 people, located in Cook County, Illinois.
What is the median household income in Des Plaines? ▼
The median household income in Des Plaines, IL is $97,875 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 6%.
What is the median home value in Des Plaines? ▼
The median home value in Des Plaines, IL is $335,600. Median rent is $1,606/month.
What are the top health concerns in Des Plaines? ▼
The top health indicators in Des Plaines include Short Sleep Duration (33.1%), High Blood Pressure (29.9%), Obesity (26.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Des Plaines? ▼
Des Plaines has 1 hospital. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Des Plaines? ▼
The median age in Des Plaines, IL is 42.3 years. 38.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Des Plaines, IL is located in Cook County, Illinois. With a population of 59K and a $97,875 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital. Safety alerts for the Des Plaines 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

Park Ridge, IL 38K Mount Prospect, IL 55K Schiller Park, IL 12K Niles, IL 30K Prospect Heights, IL 16K Norridge, IL 15K Elk Grove Village, IL 33K Bensenville, IL 18K
All cities in Illinois → Compare Des Plaines vs Park Ridge → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Des Plaines'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 Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines 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 (Cook 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.