County · Illinois

Cook County, Illinois

Cook County, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 55 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #1,413 of 3,143 US counties. Within Illinois it ranks #53 of 102 counties. It ranks best on public transit commuters (high), distance to an emergency room (low) and average weekly wage (high). It ranks worst on days with unhealthy air (high), high ozone days (high) and income inequality (Gini index) (high).

55Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #1,413 of 3,143 counties
Illinois: #53 of 102 in IL
Population: 5,194,625 (2025)
Land area: 945 mi²
Density: 5,497.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 17031

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 80 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety17#2,578/3,096
Economy63#1,159/3,143
Housing6#2,937/3,140
Health90#322/3,144
Healthcare87#401/3,143
Environment4#2,999/3,108
Education66#1,055/3,144
Infrastructure75#794/3,144
Community52#1,507/3,144
Leisure & amenities80#623/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cook County, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Public transit commuters · high11.9%
99/100Illinois 5.8%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Distance to an emergency room · low2.1 mi
99/100Illinois 4.0 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Average weekly wage · high$1,740
98/100Illinois $1,539United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Suicide rate · low9.3 /100k
98/100Illinois 11.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Access to exercise opportunities · high99.1%
98/100Illinois 90.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Distance to an airport · low9 mi
98/100Illinois 35 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau

Weaknesses

Days with unhealthy air · high6.8%
2/100Illinois 4.2%2025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
High ozone days · high8 days
2/100Illinois 5 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.504
3/100Illinois 0.481United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Median Air Quality Index · high53
3/100Illinois 482025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Effective property tax rate · high1.73%
3/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Time spent in the emergency room · high225 min
4/100Illinois 170 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
18% (2021) → 6% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−12 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
25.9% (Dec 2021) → 36.8% (Aug 2026)
+11 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
37.5 /100k (2021) → 17.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−53%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
20.5 /100k (2021) → 10.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−47%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.4% (2015-2019) → 90.6% (2020-2024)
+9.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Traffic deathsWorsening
5.2 /100k (2015-2019) → 7.6 /100k (2020-2024)
+45%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Cook County, Illinois improved on 16 of 33 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 8 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Unemployment−5.9 points10.7% → 4.8%
Firearm deaths−36%19.8 /100k → 12.6 /100k
Commute−2.0 min33.4 min → 31.5 min
Students / teacher−1.4×14.8× → 13.4×
Overdose deaths−50%35.1 /100k → 17.6 /100k

Declined5

Transit use−7.2 points19.1% → 11.8%
Property crime+15%1,967 /100k → 2,257 /100k
New businesses−5.6%20.2 /1k → 19.1 /1k
Traffic deaths+45%5.2 /100k → 7.6 /100k
Pharmacies−13%2.2 /10k → 1.9 /10k

All 33 measures

Change of every measure of Cook County, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.9 /10k2020	4.4 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	61%
Average commute time	33.4 min2015-2019	31.5 min2020-2024	−2.0 min	Improved	89%
Average weekly wage	$1,4462020	$1,7402025	+20%	Improved	25%
Bachelor's degree or higher	38.8%2015-2019	42.7%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	70%
Broadband subscriptions	81.4%2015-2019	90.6%2020-2024	+9.2 points	Improved	44%
Child poverty rate	18.2%2019	17.6%2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Distance to an airport	9 mi2020	9 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	35.1 /100k2020	17.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−50%	Improved	76%
Effective property tax rate	1.83%2015-2019	1.73%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	44%
Firearm deaths	19.8 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−36%	Improved	92%
Grocery stores	2.3 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	−5.3%	Within the margin of error	35%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+6.4%	Within the margin of error	62%
High school diploma or higher	87.1%2015-2019	88.6%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Improved	41%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	3.9×2020-2024	+0.1×	Little change	83%
Homicide rate	18.2 /100k2020	10.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−41%	Improved	64%
Income adjusted for local prices	$61,3812019	$77,1892024	+26%	Improved	16%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5082015-2019	0.5042020-2024	−0.004	Little change	62%
Median household income	$69,3752019	$82,7292024	+19%	Improved	22%
New business applications	20.2 /1k2020	19.1 /1k2025	−5.6%	Declined	6%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	36%
Poverty rate	13.0%2019	13.7%2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Property crime rate	1,967 /100k2020	2,257 /100k2025	+15%	Declined	6%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−0.8%	Within the margin of error	51%
Public transit commuters	19.1%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	−7.2 points	Declined	2%
Rent as share of income	29.6%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Rent-burdened households	49.1%2015-2019	48.9%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Restaurants and bars	9.9 /10k2020	10.2 /10k2025	+3.5%	Improved	59%
Students per teacher	14.8×2019	13.4×2024	−1.4×	Improved	76%
Suicide rate	8.6 /100k2020	9.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+8.1%	Within the margin of error	39%
Traffic deaths	5.2 /100k2015-2019	7.6 /100k2020-2024	+45%	Declined	15%
Unemployment rate	10.7%2020	4.8%2025	−5.9 points	Improved	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.9%2019	10.1%2024	−0.8 points	Improved	45%
Violent crime rate	642 /100k2020	534 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	52%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3144 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Counties like Cook County, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cook County, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Cook County, Illinois itself moved +2 points in standing on average over the same 32 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,182,090 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 men (+0.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

5,182,090 residents

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

White40%2,077,522
Black22%1,130,881
Hispanic or Latino27%1,387,163
Asian7.9%407,859
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%3,815
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%1,288
Other or two or more races3.3%173,562

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−2.2 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

3,641,534 residents (±69)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma11%416,621
High school or GED22%801,258
Some college17%624,173
Associate degree6.7%243,881
Bachelor's degree25%900,648
Graduate degree18%654,953

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Graduate degree (+2.2 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,100,230 households (±3,848)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k16%332,400
$25k–50k16%329,767
$50k–75k14%293,762
$75k–100k12%255,847
$100k–150k17%362,019
$150k–200k9.8%206,327
$200k or more15%320,108

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+5.9 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,100,230 households (±3,848)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

Own58%1,212,570
Rent42%887,660

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+0.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

859,046 households (±6,982)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $7509.8%83,883
$750–1,00011%91,944
$1,000–1,50034%289,403

Home values

1,212,570 homes (±7,287)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k13%151,859
$150k–250k21%256,908
$250k–400k32%385,448

Age of homes

2,276,493 homes (±389)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later5.0%114,864
2000–20097.9%180,901
1980–199914%313,590

Size of homes

2,276,493 homes (±389)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio5.1%115,552
1 bedroom16%365,674
2 bedrooms30%692,768

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,539,962 workers (±8,667)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone55%1,392,162
Carpool7.7%196,668
Public transit12%300,955
Walk4.0%101,572
Bike0.9%23,991
Work from home19%480,070
Other1.8%44,544

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+14.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

2,059,892 workers (±9,115)

Cook County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min16%337,637
15–29 min31%638,979
30–44 min27%564,605

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Cook County has 134,513 employer establishments, 262 for every 10,000 residents (1.05× the US rate of 248; 1.02× Illinois's), with 2,492,328 paid employees at an average annual pay of $83,113. The Census Bureau also counts 578,139 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 134,513; 578,139 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 262; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 2,492,328
Average annual pay: $83,113; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cook County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	12,255	23.8	1.14×About typical	120,830	$73,746	26,012
Restaurants and other eating places	10,283	20	1.09×About typical	175,761	$29,528	3,209
Truck transportation	6,896	13.4	2.65×More than typical	35,576	$58,890	37,659
Specialty trade contractors	6,308	12.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	51,795	$91,576	24,041
Lessors of real estate	6,106	11.9	0.96×About typical	36,481	$90,793	47,456
Limited-service restaurants	4,656	9.1	1.13×About typical	71,531	$23,650	1,099
Management, scientific and technical consulting	4,501	8.8	1.30×More than typical	78,036	$144,574	20,774
Full-service restaurants	4,330	8.4	1.10×About typical	87,914	$35,009	1,468
Legal services	4,152	8.1	1.50×More than typical	39,614	$166,701	6,046
Construction of buildings	4,132	8	1.06×About typical	19,598	$98,127	22,202
Offices of other health practitioners	4,034	7.8	1.29×More than typical	22,664	$51,319	10,130
Offices of physicians	3,409	6.6	1.02×About typical	42,167	$110,011	4,357

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,142,853 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $4B on contracts performed in Cook County, Illinois: $770 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $4B; +1.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $770; US $1,994
Sole-source: 19%; US 30%
Single offer: 8.5%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$1.5B38%
Defense Logistics Agency$662.5M17%
Department of the Army$587M15%
Department of the Air Force$227.2M5.7%
Department of the Navy$154M3.9%
Agricultural Marketing Service$118.9M3.0%
Federal Acquisition Service$85.7M2.1%
Defense Health Agency$51.1M1.3%

Top recipients

MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP$942.1M24%
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION$575.3M14%
BP PRODUCTS NORTH AMERICA INC.$343.3M8.6%
DDB CHICAGO INC.$310.2M7.8%
US FOODS INC$225.5M5.6%

Spending by fiscal year

3.5BFY2017
3.8BFY2018
3.3BFY2019
3.7BFY2020
4.1BFY2021
5.1BFY2022
5.1BFY2023
4.6B

Top industries (NAICS)

Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers · 4234$945.6M24%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$361.3M9.0%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$351.8M8.8%
Advertising, public relations, and related services · 5418$310.9M7.8%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$228.1M5.7%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413

Largest awards

DON LAIRCM FY22 PRODUCTION WRA, ASSOCIATED SEPM, AND TECHNICAL STUDIES. THIS CONTRACT ALSO ESTABLISHES OPTION YEAR 1 CLINS FOR FY23 DON LAIRCM PRODUCTION WRAS AND ASSOCIATED SEPM$509.7M
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION· Cook County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Mar 31, 2022 – Apr 20, 2026· N0001922C0042
FY19 PRODUCTION UNDEFINITIZED CONTRACT ACTION (UCA)$358.2M
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION· Cook County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 30, 2019 – May 18, 2026· N0001919C0011
AN/APR-39 C/D(V)2 PRODUCTION CONTRACT FPIF CLINS$327.2M
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION· Cook County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 21, 2017 – Dec 17, 2025· N0001917C0037

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Explore contracts in Cook County, Illinois

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $32.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cook County, Illinois: $6,202 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $32.2B; −6.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,202; US $12,955
Loan face value: $4.9B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$15.4B48%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$2.3B7.0%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$1.9B6.0%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$1.6B5.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$1.4B4.3%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$1.3B3.9%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$1.2B3.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$1.1B3.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY$1.2B3.7%
CHICAGO, IL
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY$522M1.6%
EVANSTON, IL
CITY OF CHICAGO$416M1.3%
CHICAGO, IL
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO$355.5M1.1%
CHICAGO, IL
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$336.9M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$19.5B60%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$5.5B17%
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$1.4B4.3%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$1.2B3.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Institutes of Health

Assistance by fiscal year

30.3BFY2021
25.3BFY2022
28.4BFY2023
31.2BFY2024
34.5BFY2025
32.2BFY2026

County aggregates

82%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Cook County, Illinois

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Cook County, Illinois compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Cook County, Illinois
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cook County, Illinois	United States
FY2017	$676	$1,436
FY2018	$731	$1,552
FY2019	$635	$1,654
FY2020	$708	$1,880
FY2021	$786	$1,810
FY2022	$1,003	$1,917
FY2023	$983	$2,079
FY2024	$885	$2,047
FY2025	$759	$2,165
FY2026	$770 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cook County, Illinois	United States
FY2017	$24.12	$93.28
FY2018	$21.34	$105
FY2019	$30.21	$128
FY2020	$51.76	$145
FY2021	$30.63	$117
FY2022

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cook County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$1,637	$5,748
FY2022	$1,452	$5,221
FY2023	$1,550	$5,364
FY2024	$1,541	$5,501
FY2025	$1,533	$5,732
FY2026	$1,443

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cook County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$95.70	$298
FY2022	$102	$357
FY2023	$113	$301
FY2024	$121	$319
FY2025	$166	$360
FY2026	$94.03

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cook County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$385	$239
FY2022	$337	$185
FY2023	$435	$229
FY2024	$425	$229
FY2025	$454	$249
FY2026	$524

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cook County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$347	$2,304
FY2022	$162	$2,197
FY2023	$163	$2,274
FY2024	$262	$2,267
FY2025	$239	$2,397
FY2026	$311

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cook County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$2,032	$1,186
FY2022	$641	$465
FY2023	$98.41	$76.52
FY2024	$175	$120
FY2025	$150	$148
FY2026	$122

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Cook County, Illinois
United States
Years with money loaded

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Cook County, Illinois and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	1.7%	2.0%
2015

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

No jump in federal money met the criteria in the years loaded, so there is no comparison for this place.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/17031

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Cook County, Illinois is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Metro area

The metro or micro area Cook County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN66Central county

Cities and towns in Cook County

Places whose residents live mostly in Cook County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/17031

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	−4.2%	−4.2%
2015	−1.2%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.4%	+3.3%
2018	+7.4%	+6.8%
2019	+10.4%	+10.5%
2020	+20.0%	+19.4%
2021	+27.5%	+26.1%
2022	+31.0%	+30.6%
2023	+33.9%	+35.0%
2024	+38.8%	+41.0%
2025	+44.4%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	−5.8%	−5.5%
2015	−0.9%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.6%	+4.1%
2018	+11.0%	+8.9%
2019	+14.0%	+13.5%
2020	+21.5%	+20.8%
2021	+31.3%	+32.1%
2022	+32.0%	+35.4%
2023	+39.4%	+42.9%
2024	+44.7%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	1.5/1k	3.3/1k
2015	1.5/1k	3.7/1k
2016	2.1/1k	3.7/1k
2017	2.2/1k	3.9/1k
2018	1.6/1k	4.1/1k
2019	1.9/1k	4.2/1k
2020	1.1/1k	4.4/1k
2021	1.3/1k	5.2/1k
2022	1.6/1k	5.0/1k
2023	0.9/1k	4.5/1k
2024	1.3/1k	4.3/1k
2025	1.0/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	−8.3%	−6.9%
2015	−5.3%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.3%	+4.7%
2018	+5.5%	+7.5%
2019	+15.6%	+14.0%
2020	+19.3%	+16.9%
2021	+20.1%	+21.0%
2022	+27.6%	+29.7%
2023	+34.2%	+34.9%
2024	+37.8%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	−9.6% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−5.0% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+5.3% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+8.9% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+10.0% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+16.7% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+27.1% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+32.8% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+38.8% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+44.6% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+49.2% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	7.6%	6.2%
2015	6.3%	5.3%
2016	6.2%	4.9%
2017	5.1%	4.4%
2018	4.1%	3.9%
2019	3.9%	3.7%
2020	10.7%	8.1%
2021	6.9%	5.4%
2022	5.0%	3.7%
2023	4.4%	3.6%
2024	5.3%	4.0%
2025	4.8%	4.3%

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	17.1%	15.5%
2015	16.2%	14.7%
2016	15.0%	14.0%
2017	14.6%	13.4%
2018	13.8%	13.1%
2019	13.0%	12.3%
2020	12.9%	11.9%
2021	13.8%	12.8%
2022	13.7%	12.6%
2023	13.2%	12.5%
2024	13.7%	12.1%

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2015	−2.2% (Dec 2015)	−3.3% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+2.5% (Dec 2017)	+4.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+5.0% (Dec 2018)	+8.8% (Dec 2018)
2019	+8.2% (Dec 2019)	+13.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+4.7% (Dec 2020)	+15.2% (Dec 2020)
2021	+14.8% (Dec 2021)	+32.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+23.9% (Dec 2022)	+42.1% (Dec 2022)
2023	+30.4% (Dec 2023)	+46.3% (Dec 2023)
2024	+37.0% (Dec 2024)	+50.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+44.7% (Dec 2025)	+53.5% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	14.1%	13.5%
2015	10.6%	10.9%
2016	9.4%	10.0%
2017	10.0%	10.2%
2018	10.2%	10.4%
2019	10.9%	10.8%
2020	10.3%	10.4%
2021	10.1%	10.2%
2022	9.7%	9.5%
2023	9.0%	9.5%
2024	10.1%	9.8%

Calendar years	Cook County, Illinois	United States
2014	10.4/1k	8.5/1k
2015	10.4/1k	8.7/1k
2016	10.6/1k	9.1/1k
2017	11.1/1k	9.8/1k
2018	12.7/1k	10.7/1k
2019	12.9/1k	10.6/1k
2020	20.2/1k	13.1/1k
2021	22.9/1k	16.2/1k
2022	18.3/1k	15.1/1k
2023	18.2/1k	16.2/1k
2024	17.7/1k	15.4/1k
2025	19.1/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined5

Counties like Cook County, Illinois five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Cook County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined5

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

House

Senate

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought