City safety & data profile

North ChicagoIL

North Chicago, IL is a 29K-resident city in Lake County with a median household income of $60,172.

Lake County, Illinois. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for North Chicago, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. North Chicago has a population larger than 62% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $159,600, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

29K
Population
Top 38%
By size
$60,172
Median income
$159,600
Median home
24.5%
Poverty rate

The read on North Chicago

North Chicago posts a median household income higher than 22% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the North Chicago area.

Top 78%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near North Chicago

Where North Chicago income ranks nationally

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

$60,172 Bottom 22% higher than 22% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 North Chicago, IL beyond the headline numbers

North Chicago sits inside Lake County, Illinois, at roughly 42.33°N, -87.84°W. Population 29,491, $60,172 median household income. Median home value $159,600, median rent $1,426. Poverty rate 24.5%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: North Chicago's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 36.6%, then obesity at 34.8%. 1 hospital in/around North Chicago, 4/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

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

Population
29,491
North Chicago
Median Income
$60,172
-11% vs avg
Median Home Value
$159,600
-30% vs avg
Median Age
23.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lake County) - North Chicago'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
714K+2%
Median Income
$110,416+43%
Median Home Value
$345,700+36%
Poverty Rate
8.3%-8%
Unemployment
5%-46%

Economics

Economics indicators for North Chicago, IL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,426/mo
Poverty Rate
24.5% +73% vs avg
Unemployment 5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 20.8%
Work From Home 25.5%
Public Transit 0.8%

Population

White 34.2%
African American 25%
Asian 6.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
36.6%
Obesity
34.8%
High Blood Pressure
24.7%
Physical Inactivity
24.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.8%
Binge Drinking
19.3%
Lack of Health Insurance
16.2%
Current Smoking
12.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.1%
Current Asthma
9.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 55.7%
Annual Checkup 68.9%

Other Measures

Diabetes
9.2%
Coronary Heart Disease
3.6%
Stroke
2.4%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
NORTH CHICAGO VA MEDICAL CENTER
NORTH CHICAGO · Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of North Chicago, IL? ▼
North Chicago, IL has a population of 29,491 people, located in Lake County, Illinois.
What is the median household income in North Chicago? ▼
The median household income in North Chicago, IL is $60,172 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 24.5%.
What is the median home value in North Chicago? ▼
The median home value in North Chicago, IL is $159,600. Median rent is $1,426/month.
What are the top health concerns in North Chicago? ▼
The top health indicators in North Chicago include Short Sleep Duration (36.6%), Obesity (34.8%), High Blood Pressure (24.7%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in North Chicago? ▼
North Chicago has 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in North Chicago? ▼
The median age in North Chicago, IL is 23.2 years. 20.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

North Chicago, IL is located in Lake County, Illinois. With a population of 29K and a $60,172 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the North Chicago 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

Waukegan, IL 88K Lake Forest, IL 19K Gurnee, IL 31K Beach Park, IL 14K Libertyville, IL 20K Zion, IL 24K Gages Lake, IL 10K Highland Park, IL 30K
All cities in Illinois → Compare North Chicago vs Waukegan → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using North Chicago'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 North Chicago 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 North Chicago 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 (Lake 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.