Part of series
2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2000 2019 2018
Data updates
Updated annually and as new data becomes available
Get email notifications -->
Media Contact
Neilsberg Research Media Relations
Share this page

Wheaton, IL

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

53,557
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

36.8
years ∙ half population younger than 36.8, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
40.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

10.8%
foreign-born population
89.2%Native
10.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Wheaton is a city within DuPage County, Illinois, United States.
Location
City in DuPage County, IL, US
Co-ordinates
DEC41.856833° N, 88.108126° W
DMS41° 51′ 24.60″ N, 88° 06′ 29.25″ W

Population Density & area

4,740/sq mi (1,828/km²)
Total Area
11.5 sq mi (29.7 km²)
Land Area
11.3 sq mi (29.3 km²) · 98.5%
Water Area
0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²) · 1.5%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.4% male
Male 49.4%
Female 50.6%
males per 100 females
Wheaton 97.7
DuPage County 98.1
Illinois 97.7

Nativity

10.8%
foreign-born population
89.2%Native
10.8% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Wheaton 10.8%
DuPage County 20.5%
Illinois 14.7%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

36.8
years ∙ half population younger than 36.8, half older
Wheaton
36.8
DuPage County
40.2
Illinois
39

Dependency ratio

Low High
65.3
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Wheaton 65.3
DuPage County 65.3
Illinois 63.5

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 22% 22.2% 21.8%
Working age (18-64) 60.5% 60.5% 61.2%
Senior (65+) 17.5% 17.3% 17%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 65.3 65.3 63.5
Child dependency ratio 36.4 36.6 35.7
Old-age dependency ratio 28.9 28.7 27.8
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
76.3%
Black
4.1%
Asian
5.8%
Hispanic
8.9%
Other
4.9%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
40.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Wheaton 40.3%
DuPage County 56.7%
Illinois 60.5%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Wheaton population
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Hispanic or Latino 8.9% 16.1% 18.8%
Mexican 5% 11.9% 14.4%
Puerto Rican 0.8% 1.2% 1.6%
Cuban 0.2% 0.4% 0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino 3% 2.6% 2.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino 91.1% 83.9% 81.2%
One race 86.9% 80.4% 77.8%
White 76.3% 62.2% 58.1%
Black or African American 4.1% 4.8% 13.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0% 0.1%
Asian 5.8% 13% 5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0.7% 0.4% 0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 4.2% 3.5% 3.4%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

65.7% family
Family 65.7%
Non family 34.3%
% family households
Wheaton 65.7%
DuPage County 69.6%
Illinois 62.2%

Average household size

2.54
persons per household
Wheaton
2.54
DuPage County
2.61
Illinois
2.46

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Wheaton population
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Total households 19,588 350,758 5,036,449
Average houshold size 2.54 2.61 2.46
Family households 12,878 244,158 3,130,978
Average family size 3.17 3.17 3.14
Married couple family 11,157 196,508 2,282,435
Other families 1,721 47,650 848,543
Male householder 466 15,389 248,521
Female householder 1,255 32,261 600,022
Non-family households 6,710 106,600 1,905,471
One-person households 5,641 88,108 1,569,881
Male householder 2,047 38,083 712,191
Senior (65+) living alone 489 11,933 210,051
Female householder 3,594 50,025 857,690
Senior (65+) living alone 1,968 27,050 417,870
Other living arrangements 1,069 18,492 335,590

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

20,359
housing units
Wheaton 20,359
DuPage County 367,152
Illinois 5,457,452

Occupancy status

96.2% occupied
Occupied 96.2%
Vacant 3.8%
vacancy rate
Wheaton 3.8%
DuPage County 4.5%
Illinois 7.7%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

69.5%
Single family houses
Single family houses
69.5%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
30.6%
Mobile homes
0%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1976
Half of houses were built before 1976, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
8.9%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
24.9%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
57.2%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
9%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.4 6.1 5.6
1–3 rooms 12.7% 13.5% 14.6%
4–6 rooms 38.7% 42% 50.9%
7+ rooms 48.6% 44.5% 34.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0.9% 1.8% 3.1%
1 bedroom 12.4% 11.3% 11.5%
2 bedrooms 23.2% 24.3% 27.7%
3 bedrooms 29.2% 32% 35.8%
4+ bedrooms 34.4% 30.6% 21.7%
At a glance
Median year built 1976 1978 1971
Total housing units 20,359 367,152 5,457,452
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

71.7% owners
Renter-occupied 28.3%
Owner-occupied 71.7%
homeownership rate
Wheaton 71.7%
DuPage County 73.1%
Illinois 67.1%

Average household size

2.75
Owner-occupied
2
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Wheaton 2.75
DuPage County 2.76
Illinois 2.62

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Total occupied units 19,588 350,758 5,036,449
Year moved in
2020 or later 24.7% 22.1% 23.3%
2010 to 2019 38.9% 36.9% 38.1%
2000 to 2009 14.5% 17.6% 17.3%
1999 or earlier 21.9% 23.3% 21.3%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 99.2% 97.3% 97.5%
1.01 to 1.50 0.6% 1.8% 1.6%
1.51 or more 0.2% 0.9% 0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 5.4% 4.6% 11%
1 vehicle 34.5% 32.6% 35.7%
2 vehicles 44.6% 43% 35.1%
3 or more vehicles 15.4% 19.8% 18.3%
House heating fuel used
Gas 85% 84.1% 79.5%
Electricity 13.4% 14.7% 18.6%
Solar 0% 0.1% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%
All other fuels 0.8% 0.3% 0.8%
No fuel used 0.5% 0.6% 0.8%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.3% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0.3% 0.7% 0.8%
No telephone service available 0.4% 0.6% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$455,700
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Wheaton
$455,700
DuPage County
$391,400
Illinois
$263,300

Housing Cost Burden

24.8%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
24.8%
Owners without a mortgage
18.4%
Renters
44.1%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Property value
Median Value $455,700 $391,400 $263,300
Under $100,000 1.3% 2.7% 13.7%
$100,000 - $200,000 5% 7.9% 21.5%
$200,000 - $300,000 11.8% 18.1% 22.3%
$300,000 - $500,000 40.3% 41.7% 27.7%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 38.1% 24.8% 12.1%
$1,000,000 and more 3.4% 4.8% 2.7%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 68.8% 64.8% 60.8%
Without a mortgage 31.2% 35.2% 39.2%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $2,764 $2,450 $1,987
Without a mortgage $1,138 $1,056 $792
Gross rent
Median rent $1,799 $1,688 $1,274

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

64.5%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Wheaton 64.5%
DuPage County 51.8%
Illinois 37.8%

Adults without a high school diploma

3.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Wheaton 3.8%
DuPage County 7%
Illinois 9.6%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

15,103
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
5.8%
K–12
56.4%
College / Undergraduate
30.9%
Graduate / Professional
6.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

67.7%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Wheaton
67.7%
DuPage County
49.4%
Illinois
41.4%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Total enrolled (age 3+) 15,103 230,717 3,051,569
Nursery / preschool 5.8% 6.6% 6.3%
K–12 56.4% 66.5% 67.3%
Kindergarten 3.7% 4.9% 4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 17% 19.7% 19.5%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 16.8% 20.3% 20.8%
High School: Grades 9–12 18.8% 21.6% 22.1%
College or graduate school 37.8% 26.9% 26.4%
College, undergraduate 30.9% 19.8% 19.8%
Graduate, professional school 6.8% 7.1% 6.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 67.7% 49.4% 41.4%
School type
Public school 62.9% 78.7% 80.5%
Private school 37.1% 21.3% 19.5%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

35,155
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
1.7%
9th-12th, no diploma
2.1%
HS graduate
11.5%
Some college no degree
13.5%
Associates degree
6.7%
Bachelors degree
36.4%
Graduate or professional degree
28.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
54.1% · 45.9%
9th-12th, no diploma
65.8% · 34.2%
HS graduate
42.2% · 57.8%
Some college no degree
51.8% · 48.2%
Associates degree
54.8% · 45.2%
Bachelors degree
44.9% · 55.1%
Graduate or professional degree
50.5% · 49.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Population (25+) 35,155 646,941 8,767,004
Less than 9th grade 1.7% 3.7% 4.6%
9th–12th, no diploma 2.1% 3.3% 5%
High school diploma or GED 11.5% 17.9% 25.1%
Some college, no degree 13.5% 16% 19.2%
Associate's degree 6.7% 7.2% 8.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher 64.5% 51.8% 37.8%
Bachelor's degree 36.4% 30.7% 22.6%
Graduate or professional 28.1% 21.1% 15.3%
High School or higher 96.2% 93% 90.5%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$72,194
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$41,739
HS graduate
$39,421
Some college or associates
$53,289
Bachelors degree
$79,867
Graduate or professional degree
$100,433

Poverty Rate

2.4%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
29.1%
HS graduate
15.7%
Some college or associates
4.3%
Bachelors degree or higher
2.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Wheaton DuPage County Illinois
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $72,194 $67,696 $55,582
Less than high school graduate $41,739 $35,808 $34,655
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $39,421 $45,969 $40,965
Some college or associate's degree $53,289 $52,690 $47,813
Bachelor's degree $79,867 $82,362 $73,326
Graduate or professional degree $100,433 $104,313 $91,623
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 29.1% 14.7% 21.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 15.7% 9.6% 14.4%
Some college or associate's degree 4.3% 6.2% 9.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher 2.4% 3.6% 4.5%

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research Avatar
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page


			
			 	 
			 
	      
Url to be used as reference

			
				
				
		
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.