What is the population of Elgin city?

Elgin city has 114,106 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #6 of 1,462 in Illinois.

What is the median household income in Elgin city?

Median household income in Elgin city is $88,316 a year, 12.5% above the national figure of $78,538.

How much does it cost to rent or buy in Elgin city?

Median gross rent is $1,260 a month and the median home value is $252,400, so rent absorbs about 17.1% of median household income.

Is Elgin city affordable compared with the rest of the US?

Homes cost about 2.9× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Elgin city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 17.1% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.

Aerial view of a dense city center, illustrating the US cities ZIP code directory

Illinois · Census place 23074

Elgin, IL population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Elgin, Illinois (Elgin, IL — Census place “Elgin city”) is 114,106 residents, ranking #6 of 1462 places in Illinois. Median household income is $88,316, the median home is worth $252,400 and median gross rent runs $1,260 a month. Looking for the Elgin Illinois ZIP code list? 3 ZIP codes serve Elgin, IL: 60120, 60123, 60124.

Population: 114,106Elgin city residents
Median household income: $88,316Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value: $252,400Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent: $1,260Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age: 36.3 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate: 71.4%Owner-occupied households

Elgin ZIP codes (Illinois)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Elgin.

The Elgin IL ZIP code list below covers 3 ZIP codes. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

What the numbers mean in Elgin city

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Elgin city median would spend about 17.1% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 2.9× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 10.4% of residents and 71.4% of households own their home.

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year

Elgin city, IL in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Elgin city is a mid-size city in Illinois, with 114,106 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #6 of 1,462 ranked by population — larger than 99% of them. The median age here is 36.3 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly younger profile than the country as a whole. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.

Households in Elgin city earn a median of $88,316 a year, 12.5% above the national figure of $78,538 and 19% above the $74,244 median for the 698 Illinois cities we cover. This figure covers the household, not the worker: two people on ordinary wages at one address outrank a single professional in the same table. Poverty reaches 10.4% of residents here, below the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Elgin city is valued at $252,400, 16.8% below the national figure and 41% above the $179,100 peer median, while median gross rent runs $1,260 a month, 10.4% below the national figure, or roughly $15,120 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 17.1% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is cheap relative to what people here earn. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 2.9×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 71.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans toward owners. Rent is reported gross — contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities — which is why it runs above the advertised price on a listing for the same unit.

Every value on this page is published directly by the Census for this area — nothing is modelled or interpolated. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.

Compare with nearby places

Places of similar size in Illinois.

More Illinois coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Elgin city?: Elgin city has 114,106 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #6 of 1,462 in Illinois.
What is the median household income in Elgin city?: Median household income in Elgin city is $88,316 a year, 12.5% above the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Elgin city?: Median gross rent is $1,260 a month and the median home value is $252,400, so rent absorbs about 17.1% of median household income.
Is Elgin city affordable compared with the rest of the US?: Homes cost about 2.9× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Elgin city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 17.1% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Elgin city data?: All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.