Evanston Statistics and Demographics
Economic Trends in Evanston: a Presentation of Why and How Evanston is Changing
Research report on the demographics and economic trends in Evanston 1980-2005
Earlier Census Data:
Overview
Population, Race, Age
Income and Educational Status
Labor and Ethnicity
Three Year Natality Report
Evanston Demographic Profile
Evanston Demographics from Evmark
Evanston Community Profile from the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity
Evanston Demographics, Mortgage, Income, and Housing data from DataPlace
Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs
Cook County quick facts
Illinois quick facts
Overview
According to the U.S. Census, the population of Evanston in 2000 was 74,239. Between 1990 and 2000, the population increased 1.4%, as opposed to a decline of .6% from 1980 to 1990 and a sharp drop of 8.6% from 1970 to 1980. However, this relatively small change in population size does not reflect the changes that have taken place in Evanston’s demographic profile.
In the past decade, minority groups increased their share of Evanston’s population. This is particularly true among Asian and Pacific Islanders and Hispanics. Asians, numbering 3,535, grew as a category by over twelve hundred people (an increase of approximately 50%). Hispanics, a group numbering 2,689 as of 1990, grew by more than nine hundred people(an increase of 56%) since 1980. The largest minority group in Evanston, African Americans, who as of 1990 totaled 16,749, increased by only 5%. Finally, Evanston’s white population decreased by 6% to 50, 260 people.
The number of elderly Evanston residents continued to decline during the period to 1990. The total number of Evanston residents age 65 and over has declined in number from 10, 396 in 1980 to 9,057 in 1990 and as a percentage of the total population from 14.1% in 1980 to 12.4% in 1990. However, Evanston had the highest percentage of persons over 85 years of age in suburban Cook County.
Race and Ethnicity
In the past decade, minority groups increased their share of Evanston’s population. Collectively, members of minority groups, including all person
of 2 or more races, now make up 37% of the population. During the 2000 Census, 1,876 people in Evanston, or 2.5% were counted under two or more
races. Asians, numbering 4,505, grew as a category by 976 people (an increase of 27.7%). Hispanics, a group numbering 4,539 persons, or 6.1% of
the population, grew by 2,160 people, or 91% since 1990. The largest minority group in Evanston, non-Hispanic African Americans, who as of 2000
totaled 16,449, increased by less than 1%, making them 22.2% of the total population. Finally, Evanston’s white, non-Hispanic population decreased by
8.9% to 46,444 people, or 62.6% of the total.
The 2000 Census showed that a sizeable percentage of the City’s 16,704 black residents live in the three tracts on the western border - 46 %, compared to 52% in 1990. 40 % of the City’s black residents now live in the three south Evanston Census areas, where 25 % of the total population resides.
In 1990, 66% of Evanston’s 2,689 Hispanic residents lived in five Census areas in west, south and southwest Evanston. 40% of the Hispanic population lived in three south Evanston Census areas. Another 26% of the City’s Hispanic residents lived in two tracts between Main and Church Streets and west of Asbury Avenue. At the time of the 2000 Census, however, the five areas accounted for 60% of the City’s Hispanic population, compared to 66% in 1990.
More than half of Evanston’s Asian residents live in three Census areas centered around Northwestern University. Collectively, the three areas are home to 55% of the City’s 4,524 Asian residents. In 1990, 53% of the City’s Asian residents lived in those areas.
Age
Although the median age of Evanstonians increased slightly from 32.0 to 32.5, the number of elderly Evanston residents continued to decline during
the period to 2000. The total number of Evanston residents age 65 and over has declined in number from 9,057 in 1990 to 8,014 and as a percentage of
the total population from 12.4% in 1990 to 10.75% in 2000. The largest decline was among persons in the 75-84 category, which has declined by 15%
since 1990 from 3,304 persons to 2,801. However, the number of middle age Evanstonians, (between 45-54 years of age) surged 34% from 7.058 person in
1990 to 9,481 in 2000. Meanwhile, although 25-34 year olds declined 10% during the decade - from 14,289 to 12,831 - the group continued to
represent the largest age cohort.
Housing
Median home values climbed 57%, to $290,800, outpacing the decade’s low rate of inflation, 33.5%. The median monthly mortgage payment for 2000 was
$1,721.
The new Census data show that, citywide, the number of occupied housing units grew from 27,954 to 29,651, a 6% increase. The percentage of rental units declined slightly, from 49 to 47%, while the percentage of owner-occupied units edged up from 51 to 53%.
The average size of Evanston households remained relatively constant, at 2.3 persons per household.
The number of women heading up households with children grew 28%, from 1,447 to 1,851.
Education
33% of Evanston adults 25 and older, hold graduate or professional degrees, a five-point increase over the 28%figure reported in the 1990
Census. The percentage of residents with no college beyond a high school diploma dropped from 13 to 10%, and the percentage of residents with less
than a ninth-grade education shrank from 5 to 3%.
Wealth
During the decade, median income among Evanston families rose 47% to $78,886.
While the percentage of households with incomes topping $150,000 rose from 5 to 13% during the decade, the percentage of residents living in poverty also increased, from 10 to 11%.
The poverty figure is nearly 17% among women heading up households with children and no husband present.
While the proportion of households with incomes of less than $25,000 dropped from 29 to 22 %, the proportion of households with incomes of less than $10,000 barely budged, dipping from 11 to 9%.
At the other extreme, 7% of Evanston households fell into the highest Census category — meaning household income totaled $200,000 or more. The category did not exist 10 years ago.
While median family income was $78,886, nearly two out of five families reported incomes of $100,000 or more.
The Census showed that the median income for men holding full-time, year-round jobs was $51,726, a 30% differential over the median income of women working year round and full-time - or $39,767.
Sources:
United States Census, 1990 and 2000
Evanston Review
Total Population
1970 80,113
1980 73,706
1990 73,233
2000 74,239
Total Population by Race
American Asian and
White Black Indian Pac Islander Hispanic* Other
1970 65,486 12,861 1,407 359 -
1980 55,161 15,791 129 2,130 1,450 495 -
1990 51,752 16,604 219 3,540 2,379 1,088 -
2000 48,429 16,704 140 4,588 4,539 2,116 2,262
* The Hispanic category in 1970 was called Spanish origin and was a distinct category. Due to a change in the Census definition, in 1980 and 1990 the Hispanic category could be any race and therefore overlaps the four other categories. In 2000 the figures for all categories above are for one race only, except Hispanic and Two or more races.
Total Population by Race, Percent change
American Asian and* See note above
White Black Indian Pac Islander Hispanic* Other Two Races
1970
1980 -15.77% 22.78% 3.06% 37.88%
1990 -6.18% 5.15% 69.77% 66.20% 64.07% 119.80%
2000 -6.42% 0.60% -36.07% 29.60% 90.79% 94.49%
Total Population by Race,
Percentage of Total population
American Asian and* See note above
White Black Indian Pac Islander Hispanic* Other Two Races
1970 81.74% 16.05% 1.76% 0.45% -
1980 74.84% 21.42% 0.18% 2.89% 1.97% 0.67% -
1990 70.67% 22.67% 0.30% 4.83% 3.25% 1.49% -
2000 65.23% 22.50% 0.18% 6.18% 6.11% 2.85% 3.05%
Population by Age
Under 5 5-19 20-64 65+
1970 5,548 18,648 44,387 11,225
1980 3,505 15,260 44,533 10,410
1990 4,136 13,313 46,747 9,037
2000 4,315 14,991 46,919 8,014
Median Household Income
1970N.B. The 1970 figure is for families, not households.3,9321,7151990 $41,1152000 $56,335
1980
Median Family Income
Median Family Female-headed, with children
19703,932 Not Available8,694
1980 28,2642,8416,1492000 $78,886
1990 $53,625
Per Capita Income
1970 $6,771
19801,0282,3462000 $33,645
1990
Persons with Income Below the Poverty Line
Percent % of Population
1970 5,123 6.39%
1980 4,667 6.33%
1990 6,409 8.75%
2000 7,518 11.10%
Educational Status (Persons 25 and Over)
High School 4 or More Years
Grad.(only) College
1970 11,358 16,031
1980 8,566 21,053
1990 6,094 27,196
2000 4,932 29,511
Labor Statistics
Persons in Labor Force Unemployment Rate
1970 37,794 ----
1980 39,010 5.4%
1990 42,222 4.3%
2000 41,086 4.7%
Foreign Born
Percent of
Population Number
1970 9.1% 7,247
1980 11.4% 8,384
1990 11.5% 8,389
2000 15.4% 11,448
Residence 5 years Prior to Census
Different House Different State
Same Same Same North North
House Country State East Central West South Abroad
1970 36,474 21,549 8,518 2,021 1,976
1980 31,532 22,112 2,544 2,919 4,867 2,500 1,651 1,911
1990 31,050 20,215 2,682 2,622 5,195 2,472 2,330 2,531
2000 30,777 21,155 2,629 2,692 4,203 2,148 2,705 3,732* 1970 only had 2 categories: North and West, and South
Ancestry/Country of Origin
First Second Third
1970 Germany U.S.S.R. United Kingdom
1980 German Irish Russian
1990 Hispanic German Irish
2000 Hispanic German Irish
2000 Other* German Irish*Other includes Hispanic.
Mother Tongue/Language Spoken at Home
1970 English German Yiddish
1980 English Spanish French
1990 English Spanish or French or
Spanish French
Creole Creole
2000 English Other Indo- Spanish
European
languages*Numbers: English only, 7,304; Other, 4,983; Spanish, 4,292
Source: U.S. Census, 2000.
Compiled by: City of Evanston Planning Department.
