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Cook County · Illinois

Chicago, IL demographics

Population, income and the local tax burden that sits on top of them — sourced from the Census Bureau and the Illinois Department of Revenue.

A crowd crossing a city street, illustrating US population and demographics data

Quick answer

Chicago, IL has a population of 2,664,452 and a median household income of $71,673 — about $5,973 a month before tax. That ranks 41 of 94 covered metros by income and 3 of 94 by population.

  • Population

    2,664,452

    City limits, ACS 5-year

  • Median household income

    $71,673

    ACS 5-year estimate

  • Combined sales tax

    10.25%

    Illinois + local

  • Income rank

    #41

    of 94 covered metros

Estimated annual sales tax on a median household

A Chicago household at the median income of $71,673 spending roughly a quarter of pre-tax income on taxable retail goods would pay about $1,837 a year in sales tax at 10.25%. This is an illustration, not a filing figure: the taxable share of spending varies with household composition, and Illinois exempts or discounts several categories. Chicago's 10.25% is the highest combined rate among the largest US cities, and groceries and prescription drugs are taxed at a reduced 1% state rate.

Method: median household income × 25% taxable share × combined rate. The 25% share is a rough national benchmark from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, not a Chicago-specific measurement.

Sources

What each figure on this page comes from.

Full Chicago sales tax breakdown and calculator

Other Chicago datasets on this site.

Statewide: Illinois cities · Illinois ZIP codes · Illinois sales tax · Illinois counties