DeKalb County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, DeKalb County has a population of 100,703 residents and a median age of 32.7 years, making it the #616 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.8%. The median home value is $243,600, and the median household income is $70,724, which is 6% below the national median.
Demographics
DeKalb County has a population of 100,703, making it the #616 most populous county in the US. The median age is 32.7 years, which is 15.9% 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 DeKalb County is $70,724, ranking #1,146 out of 3,222 counties — 5.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.8% and unemployment stands at 6.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in DeKalb County is $243,600 (-13.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,049/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In DeKalb County, 33.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.2% below the national average, ranking #575 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in DeKalb County is 77.3 years. 16.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.2% of adults in DeKalb County smoke , 35.7% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in DeKalb County is 2.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
13.0% of children in DeKalb County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in DeKalb County is 61.2%. The mean commute time is 29.0 min, which is 5.1% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, DeKalb County voted Democratic with a margin of 2.0%. The vote was 50.1% Dem / 48.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County, Illinois has a total population of 100,703, making it the 616th most populous county in the United States. The median age in DeKalb County is 32.7 years, which is 15.9% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in DeKalb County is $70,724, which ranks #1,146 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 5.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.8%.
The median home value in DeKalb County is $243,600, 13.6% below the national median. Renters in DeKalb County pay a median gross rent of $1,049 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In DeKalb County, 33.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.0 min.
DeKalb County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 71.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (6.8%).
All data for DeKalb 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.