Illinois Race & Ethnicity by City
Cities With Data
1,439
in Illinois
Most Diverse City
Bolingbrook
Diversity Index: 0.657
Least Diverse City
Cicero
Diversity Index: 0.000
Avg. White %
85.0%
across all cities
Illinois has 1,439 cities with detailed race and ethnicity data from the American Community Survey. The most racially diverse city is Bolingbrook with a diversity index of 0.657, while the least diverse is Cicero (0.000). On average across cities, the racial composition is 85.0% White, 7.5% Hispanic, 4.8% Black, and 1.6% Asian. The diversity index uses Simpson's formula (1 minus the sum of squared proportions), where values closer to 1.0 indicate greater diversity and values closer to 0.0 indicate less diversity.
Largest Cities in Illinois by Race & Ethnicity
Source: U.S. Census ACS| Rank | City | Population | Diversity Index | % White | % Hispanic | % Black | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | 2,707,648 | 0.644 | 39.0% | 29.6% | 28.4% | 7.1% |
| 2 | Aurora | 179,867 | 0.551 | 42.2% | 42.8% | 10.9% | 11.0% |
| 3 | Joliet | 149,785 | 0.535 | 52.7% | 34.7% | 17.0% | 2.1% |
| 4 | Naperville | 149,424 | 0.524 | 64.5% | 7.4% | 4.4% | 21.8% |
| 5 | Rockford | 147,649 | 0.584 | 55.5% | 20.6% | 21.8% | 3.7% |
| 6 | Elgin | 114,106 | 0.467 | 45.4% | 48.4% | 5.2% | 6.0% |
| 7 | Springfield | 113,714 | 0.459 | 70.5% | 3.4% | 19.8% | 2.9% |
| 8 | Peoria | 112,126 | 0.593 | 56.9% | 7.6% | 25.9% | 6.4% |
| 9 | Waukegan | 88,919 | 0.444 | 33.0% | 57.0% | 16.1% | 6.1% |
| 10 | Champaign | 88,822 | 0.600 | 58.0% | 7.5% | 17.4% | 14.8% |
| 11 | Cicero | 83,223 | 0.000 | 20.1% | 88.8% | 3.4% | 0.6% |
| 12 | Bloomington | 78,703 | 0.449 | 72.3% | 7.3% | 10.0% | 7.8% |
| 13 | Schaumburg | 76,780 | 0.584 | 57.8% | 11.2% | 5.5% | 23.9% |
| 14 | Evanston | 76,552 | 0.571 | 60.9% | 12.3% | 14.8% | 9.0% |
| 15 | Arlington Heights | 76,220 | 0.390 | 76.4% | 9.7% | 3.0% | 9.6% |
| 16 | Bolingbrook | 73,813 | 0.657 | 42.4% | 28.2% | 18.5% | 14.0% |
| 17 | Decatur | 70,368 | 0.485 | 67.2% | 3.2% | 24.1% | 1.4% |
| 18 | Palatine | 66,548 | 0.531 | 62.8% | 19.3% | 5.4% | 13.0% |
| 19 | Skokie | 66,427 | 0.636 | 51.2% | 11.0% | 10.3% | 27.0% |
| 20 | Des Plaines | 59,408 | 0.542 | 59.7% | 23.3% | 4.0% | 14.2% |
| 21 | Orland Park | 57,961 | 0.304 | 82.4% | 9.1% | 3.9% | 6.0% |
| 22 | Oak Lawn | 57,098 | 0.404 | 72.0% | 23.8% | 7.7% | 2.1% |
| 23 | Berwyn | 55,888 | 0.368 | 34.6% | 60.2% | 8.7% | 4.2% |
| 24 | Mount Prospect | 55,648 | 0.489 | 67.1% | 16.2% | 2.5% | 14.6% |
| 25 | Tinley Park | 55,007 | 0.349 | 79.3% | 10.6% | 6.7% | 3.6% |
| 26 | Wheaton | 53,453 | 0.334 | 80.5% | 8.0% | 3.6% | 5.9% |
| 27 | Oak Park | 53,315 | 0.545 | 63.0% | 8.5% | 19.5% | 5.5% |
| 28 | Normal | 52,908 | 0.358 | 78.8% | 7.0% | 11.5% | 4.0% |
| 29 | Hoffman Estates | 51,186 | 0.608 | 52.9% | 19.1% | 5.6% | 23.7% |
| 30 | Downers Grove | 49,867 | 0.277 | 84.4% | 5.7% | 2.8% | 5.9% |
| 31 | Glenview | 47,682 | 0.446 | 71.6% | 8.8% | 1.3% | 16.5% |
| 32 | Plainfield | 45,705 | 0.446 | 72.3% | 9.9% | 9.0% | 9.3% |
| 33 | Elmhurst | 45,538 | 0.335 | 80.0% | 10.1% | 1.8% | 6.7% |
| 34 | Lombard | 43,722 | 0.449 | 71.4% | 13.2% | 5.6% | 11.4% |
| 35 | Buffalo Grove | 42,824 | 0.534 | 61.6% | 6.3% | 3.8% | 28.2% |
| 36 | Moline | 42,235 | 0.457 | 69.5% | 18.4% | 9.9% | 3.5% |
| 37 | Belleville | 41,722 | 0.556 | 57.8% | 3.4% | 32.0% | 0.9% |
| 38 | Romeoville | 40,996 | 0.545 | 51.6% | 35.7% | 12.6% | 6.5% |
| 39 | Bartlett | 40,531 | 0.529 | 63.9% | 14.8% | 4.3% | 17.9% |
| 40 | DeKalb | 40,464 | 0.532 | 62.6% | 18.4% | 15.2% | 3.9% |
| 41 | Crystal Lake | 40,436 | 0.256 | 85.0% | 12.1% | 0.6% | 3.4% |
| 42 | Carol Stream | 39,427 | 0.616 | 53.7% | 18.4% | 6.4% | 19.6% |
| 43 | Park Ridge | 39,241 | 0.283 | 83.9% | 6.0% | 1.2% | 7.1% |
| 44 | Quincy | 39,188 | 0.232 | 87.2% | 2.4% | 5.2% | 1.0% |
| 45 | Streamwood | 39,055 | 0.560 | 44.3% | 38.7% | 3.8% | 14.2% |
| 46 | Wheeling | 38,495 | 0.556 | 52.0% | 32.0% | 2.3% | 16.0% |
| 47 | Urbana | 38,447 | 0.585 | 59.3% | 9.3% | 16.9% | 14.5% |
| 48 | Carpentersville | 37,544 | 0.382 | 41.9% | 56.0% | 5.2% | 4.0% |
| 49 | Hanover Park | 36,850 | 0.600 | 38.0% | 39.0% | 7.8% | 19.6% |
| 50 | Rock Island | 36,758 | 0.484 | 68.0% | 13.5% | 16.4% | 3.4% |
Most Diverse Cities in Illinois
Source: U.S. Census ACSThe table below ranks cities in Illinois by their diversity index, from most diverse to least. A higher diversity index means the population is more evenly distributed across racial and ethnic groups. Bolingbrook leads with a diversity index of 0.657, meaning there is a moderate probability that two randomly chosen residents belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
| Rank | City | Population | Diversity Index | % White | % Hispanic | % Black | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bolingbrook | 73,813 | 0.657 | 42.4% | 28.2% | 18.5% | 14.0% |
| 2 | Glendale Heights | 32,864 | 0.654 | 38.0% | 31.4% | 11.9% | 24.1% |
| 3 | Chicago | 2,707,648 | 0.644 | 39.0% | 29.6% | 28.4% | 7.1% |
| 4 | Skokie | 66,427 | 0.636 | 51.2% | 11.0% | 10.3% | 27.0% |
| 5 | Forest Park | 14,000 | 0.621 | 53.9% | 11.1% | 24.8% | 7.2% |
| 6 | Carol Stream | 39,427 | 0.616 | 53.7% | 18.4% | 6.4% | 19.6% |
| 7 | Indian Creek | 892 | 0.610 | 46.5% | 9.8% | 2.2% | 39.0% |
| 8 | Hoffman Estates | 51,186 | 0.608 | 52.9% | 19.1% | 5.6% | 23.7% |
| 9 | Fairview Heights | 16,255 | 0.607 | 52.5% | 2.6% | 32.3% | 2.8% |
| 10 | Crete | 8,382 | 0.605 | 50.2% | 10.4% | 35.0% | 0.9% |
| 11 | Thornton | 1,876 | 0.600 | 45.3% | 19.6% | 36.9% | 0.8% |
| 12 | Hanover Park | 36,850 | 0.600 | 38.0% | 39.0% | 7.8% | 19.6% |
| 13 | Champaign | 88,822 | 0.600 | 58.0% | 7.5% | 17.4% | 14.8% |
| 14 | Preston Heights | 2,318 | 0.600 | 27.2% | 31.0% | 43.0% | 1.1% |
| 15 | Rantoul | 12,515 | 0.598 | 49.6% | 22.4% | 21.3% | 0.7% |
| 16 | Homewood | 19,471 | 0.596 | 43.9% | 8.0% | 44.7% | 1.4% |
| 17 | Peoria | 112,126 | 0.593 | 56.9% | 7.6% | 25.9% | 6.4% |
| 18 | Monee | 5,104 | 0.593 | 52.7% | 9.7% | 33.7% | 3.5% |
| 19 | Justice | 12,372 | 0.590 | 56.3% | 16.4% | 22.4% | 4.5% |
| 20 | Lansing | 28,415 | 0.590 | 31.8% | 17.4% | 51.8% | 2.4% |
Illinois Average Racial Composition
Avg. White
85.0%
across all cities
Avg. Hispanic
7.5%
across all cities
Avg. Black
4.8%
across all cities
Avg. Asian
1.6%
across all cities
Averages are computed as the unweighted mean across all 1,439 cities with data. Population-weighted state-level figures may differ.