Highlights of Comparisons Between 2006-2008 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates and estimates from Census 2000.

Total Population

• The 7 county total increased by 4%, or about 343,000 persons.
• Largest number increase – Will County showed the largest number increase gaining 167,000 since year 2000.
• Largest rate of increase (percentage) was Kendall County with a 76% increase.
• Cook was the only county experiencing a population decline losing 98,000 persons, equal to about -2% from year 2000 through year 2008.

(Link to tables).

Population by Race

• Asian (1 race)
  • The Asian population increased in all 7 counties.
  • The Asian population showed the largest increase (+28%) for a single race within the region.
  • When looking at data for individual collar counties, DuPage had greatest number increase by gaining almost 20,000 persons.
  • All 6 collar counties showed percentage increases ranging from 28% in DuPage to a whopping 456% in Kendall.
• Black/African American (1 race)
  • The change in the percentage of persons declaring to be solely Black/African American was almost flat, changing by only -1% across the region. In terms of numbers, the region had 22,000 fewer persons of the Black/African American race.
  • Cook County, the County with by far the largest concentration of Black/African American population lost 64,000 persons. Even though the six other counties in the region increased the number of Black/African Americans, these gains were not enough to balance out the loss from Cook County. Kendall had a 518% increase (up by 3,700 persons) and Will Co. had the largest number increase at 18,000 Black/African Americans.
• Persons who did not classify themselves as being of only one race were classified as ‘some other race'. Region-wide, 283,000 more persons were of ‘some other race' since year 2000, translating to an increase of 42%.

(Link to tables).

Population by Ethnicity

• The Latino population increased across the region, including all 7 counties, by 23% (+328,000).
• Figures for all seven counties showed Latino percentage increases ranging from 12% in Cook County to 272% in Kendall County.
• In the collar counties Will County showed the greatest population number increase by adding 52,400 Latinos since year 2000.
• Estimates revealed that the population change for non Latinos was flat (0%).

(Link to tables).

Households

Total Households is the sum of Family Households (families) and Nonfamily Households.* As one would expect, the rate and direction of change in households mirror changes in population. (Analyses of population appear in previous paragraphs). Select this link for the table containing data for household and age groups.

• Total households in the 7-county region grew by 4% (same rate as population growth), with an increase of 104,000 total households.
• Will County claimed the largest number increase in total households, adding more than 47,000 total households. Kendall County's rate of growth for total Households (64%) was the highest of any county in the region.
• Cook was the only county in the 7-county region with a decline (-4%, equal to -53,000) in Family Households (families).

Nonfamily households

• The percentage of Nonfamily Households increased in all 7 counties ranging from 3% in Cook County to 67% in Kendall County. The range of increase by number was from 5,500 (Kendall) to 12,700 (Will County)

Households with 1 or more persons age 65 and over

• Between year 2000 and year 2008 there were 15,600 more families with 1 or more person age 65 and over.
• In two counties the rate of change was negative - Cook County (-3%) and Kendall County (-63%).
• The remaining five counties grew from between 13% (DuPage County) and McHenry (37%). DuPage County showed the highest number change, increasing by nearly 7,600 families.

Total Population Age 18 and over

• Whereas the total population (all ages) grew in the region at the rate of 4%, the Total Population Age 18 and over grew by 6% (342,000).
• Kane County showed the largest number gain for the time period, adding 69,000 persons Age 18 and over.
• Kendall County had the greatest rate of change, increasing the number of persons Age 18 and over by 77%.
• Cook County was the only county that lost population Age 18 and over, decreasing by almost 18,000 persons.

Total Population Age 65 and over

• For the time period between 2000 and 2008 in the 7 county region, the number of persons Age 65 and over grew by 5% or slightly more than 43,000 persons.
• Considering rates of growth, Cook County lost -2% of its residents Age 65 and over, Will county growth was flat (0%), and the remaining 5 counties grew between 11% (DuPage County) and 45% (McHenry County).
• Lake County leads all other counties in the region by number change, adding more than 11,000 residents Age 65 and over.

*Household -- A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence.
*Family household (Family) -- A family includes a householder and one or more people living in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. All people in a household who are related to the householder are regarded as members of his or her family. A family household may contain people not related to the householder, but those people are not included as part of the householder's family in census tabulations. Thus, the number of family households is equal to the number of families, but family households may include more members than do families. A household can contain only one family for purposes of census tabulations. Not all households contain families since a household may comprise a group of unrelated people or one person living alone.