Click here to download CMAP spreadsheet analyses for Homeowner and Home Rental Costs As a Percentage of Household Income, Means of Transportation to Work and Mean (Average) Travel Time to Work, and Educational Attainment for Persons 25 Year and Over. The data source is the American Community Survey, a project of the U.S. Bureau. Data were released on September 23, 2008. Visit the bureau's website and go to 'What's New' for more information about the program and to view or download the data. Data highlights are shown below. Contact Jon Hallas, 312-386-8764 or jhallas@cmap.illinois.gov for more information.
Homeowner and Home Rental Costs As A Percentage of Household Income – data provided for years 2007 and 2006
• The number of owner-occupied units increased in all 7 counties from 2006 to 2007. The range of median values for 2007 was from $244,000 (Will) to $325,000 (DuPage).
• Throughout the region close to 1/3 of homeowners with mortgages spent 35% or more of their household income on selected monthly costs including utilities, (electricity, gas, water, sewer) and fuels (such as oil and coal). Note the transportation costs are not included.
• The percentages of homeowners with mortgages who spent less than 20% of household income on selected monthly costs were DuPage (30%), Lake (27%), Cook and McHenry (26% each), Kane and Will (24% each) and Kendall (18%).
• The median monthly rent ranged from $843 (Will) to $953 (DuPage).
• What percentage of renters spent 35% or more of their household income on rental costs? DuPage (34%), McHenry (37%), Lake (38%), Cook and Will (40%) and Kane (40%). (No data for Kendall.)
Means of Transportation to Work and Mean (Average) travel Time to Work – data provided for 2007 and 2006
• The percentage of workers who drove alone in 2007 ranged from 63% in Cook to 84% in Kendall. The percentage of workers in 2007 who used public transit (excluding taxis) ranged from 3% (Kane and McHenry) to 18% (Cook).
• An estimated 140,000 workers in Cook County either walked or used other means of transportation, such as bicycles to travel to work in year 2007. The estimated total for these same modes of transportation for the remaining 6 counties in the region was about 45,000 workers.
• Average travel times to work for year 2007, ranked in minutes from lowest to highest were DuPage (29.0), Kane (29.1), Lake (30.7), Cook (31.9), McHenry (33.9), Will (34.0) and Kendall (34.1).
Educational Attainment for Persons 25 Years and Over – data provided for 2006 and 2007.
• In five counties during 2007 the highest percentage of education completed was a high school diploma. (Cook - 27%, Kane – 25%, Kendall – 28%, McHenry – 29%, Will – 30%)
• In two counties during 2007 the highest percentage of education attained was a bachelor’s degree. (DuPage – 28%, Lake – 25 %.)
• DuPage County (year 2007) had the highest percentage of persons holding a graduate or professional degree.
Analyses by Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in support of the GO TO 2040 plan.