Cook County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Cook County has a population of 5,182,090 residents and a median age of 38.0 years, making it the #2 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.5%. The median home value is $324,500, and the median household income is $83,498, which is 11% above the national median.
Demographics
Cook County has a population of 5,182,090, making it the #2 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.0 years, which is 2.3% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Cook County is $83,498, ranking #467 out of 3,222 counties — 11.1% above the national median. The poverty rate is 13.5% and unemployment stands at 7.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Cook County is $324,500 (+15.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,435/mo and the homeownership rate is 57.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Cook County, 42.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 26.8% above the national average, ranking #206 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Cook County is 77.4 years. 17.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
12.0% of adults in Cook County smoke , 32.8% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Cook County is 16.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 8.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.2% of children in Cook County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 13.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Cook County is 65.4%. The mean commute time is 34.9 min, which is 26.5% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Cook County voted Democratic with a margin of 42.0%. The vote was 70.4% Dem / 28.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois has a total population of 5,182,090, making it the 2nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cook County is 38.0 years, which is 2.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Cook County is $83,498, which ranks #467 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.1% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.0%.
The median home value in Cook County is $324,500, 15.1% above the national median. Renters in Cook County pay a median gross rent of $1,435 per month. The homeownership rate is 57.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Cook County, 42.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26.8% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 34.9 min.
Cook County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 40.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (26.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (21.8%).
All data for Cook County, Illinois comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.