Map the Block › Places › Illinois › Cook County
What are the crime rate and median income in Cook County, Illinois?
FBI reports put Cook County at 3.8 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 27% higher than the rate for Illinois (3.0). Households here have a median income of $83,498 and the unemployment rate was 5.9% in August 2026. About 5,182,090 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Cook County?
From 2021 through 2025, Cook County averaged 18,577 reported violent crimes a year, along with 120,446 property crimes. That is 3.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 27% higher than the Illinois rate (3.0), and close to the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 24.4 per 1,000 residents, compared with 16.0 across Illinois. CDC death records show about 845 homicide deaths a year in the county (16.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Cook County | Per 1,000 | Illinois per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 18,577 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 555 | 0.11 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 2,236 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 9,684 | 2.0 | 0.86 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 6,102 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 120,446 | 24.4 | 16.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 11,811 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 81,730 | 16.6 | 11.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 26,904 | 5.5 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (106 agencies; 95% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Cook County?
Median household income is $83,498, close to the statewide figure ($83,390). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $324,500 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,435. 15.7% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 13.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 158,879 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Cook County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,182,090 | 12,694,798 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $83,498 | $83,390 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $324,500 | $263,300 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,435 | $1,274 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 7.0% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 13.5% | 11.8% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 15.7% | 13.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 42.7% | 37.8% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 57.7% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 39.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 90.6% | 90.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 8.9% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Cook County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Cook County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are tornadoes (Very High), river flooding (Very High), heat waves (Very High) and earthquakes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
4 Superfund sites are on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Cook County: Lake Calumet Cluster, Estech General Chemical Company, Schroud Property and Acme Steel Coke Plant. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Cook County has 13 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. The two tallest are Thorton Quarry Gap Dam (116 ft) and Thomas J. O'Brien Lock and Controlling Works (37 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
290 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 15,703,360 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Cook County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 2, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 11 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 163 community water systems, 3 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 362 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 107 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Cook County?
Cook County had 63 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (60 active that day). Roads listed: I-294 (Tri-State Tlwy), I-294/80 (Tri-State Tlwy) and I-94 (Edens Expy Spur). 47 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Cook County?
Federal school lists show 1396 public and 423 private schools in the county. 200 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 315 fire or EMS stations and 142 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Pullman National Historical Park. 1 state park or recreation area: William W. Powers State Recreation Area.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Cook County
Gun shops
14 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Cook County, plus 15 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Cabela's 421 (Hoffman Estates), Check Your 6 INC (Arlington Heights), Concealed Carry Safety For Personal Defense INC (Niles), Eagle Sports Range (Oak Forest), Ernie's Arms Accessories (Oak Lawn), Firearms Service Corp (Lyons), Freddie Bear Sports LLC (Tinley Park), Maxon Shooter's Supplies (Des Plaines) and 6 more.
Liquor stores
736 liquor stores are on the map in Cook County: 1000 Liquors / Big City Tap (Chicago), 111 Food & Liquors INC. (Chicago), 12TH ST Food & Liquor (Cicero), 200 Liquors (Chicago), 2048 Non-Alcoholic Wine Shop (Chicago), 4-T Liquors, 54 Food & Liquor (Chicago), 5659 W. Diversey (Chicago) and 728 more. Illinois has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
7 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in Cook County: Planned Parenthood PPIL-Austin Health Center (Chicago), Planned Parenthood PPIL-Flossmoor Health Center (Flossmoor), Planned Parenthood PPIL-Loop Health Center (Chicago), Planned Parenthood PPIL-Near North Health Center (Chicago), Planned Parenthood PPIL-Orland Park Health Center (Orland Park), Planned Parenthood PPIL-Rogers Park Health Center (Chicago) and Planned Parenthood PPIL-Roseland Health Center (Chicago).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Cook County?
Cook County averaged 18,577 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 3.8 per 1,000 residents, 27% higher than the Illinois rate (3.0). The property-crime rate was 24.4 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Cook County?
$83,498 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $83,390 for Illinois and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Cook County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 158,879 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Cook County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Cook County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are tornadoes (Very High), river flooding (Very High), heat waves (Very High) and earthquakes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Cook County?
4 Superfund sites are on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Cook County: Lake Calumet Cluster, Estech General Chemical Company, Schroud Property and Acme Steel Coke Plant.
Is there road construction in Cook County right now?
Cook County had 63 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (60 active that day). Roads listed: I-294 (Tri-State Tlwy), I-294/80 (Tri-State Tlwy) and I-94 (Edens Expy Spur). 47 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Cook County?
200 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Cook County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| DuPage County | 930,024 | 0.74 | $112,096 |
| Kane County | 517,255 | 1.7 | $103,163 |
| Lake County | 714,223 | 1.3 | $110,416 |
| Lake County, IN | 500,379 | 3.6 | $71,493 |
| McHenry County | 312,591 | 0.67 | $104,802 |
| Will County | 701,462 | 1.9 | $109,984 |
Cities in Cook County with their own page: Chicago, Elgin, Cicero, Schaumburg, Evanston, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plaines, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Berwyn, Mount Prospect, Tinley Park, Oak Park, Hoffman Estates.
More: Illinois statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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