County profile · Illinois
Cook County, IL market data
How Cook County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 5,194,625
- −1.3% since 2020
- Households
- 2,100,230
- Median household income
- $83,498
- +29.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $324,500
- Jobs located here
- 2,683,238
- Highest market score
- 76
- Veterinarians, #141 of 1,485 scored counties
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Cook County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Cook County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Cook County has an estimated 5,194,625 people and 2,100,230 households. Population estimates show Cook County declined 1.3% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. Median household income in Cook County is $83,498, 3% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.1%, before inflation.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in Cook County runs highest on medical and dental services (an index of 119, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on vehicle insurance (60).
Of the business types scored in Cook County, veterinarians (76), convenience stores (73) and pet businesses (72) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For veterinarians, that ranks #141 of 1,485 scored counties.
Cook County is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for dry cleaners (46% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for pest control companies (50% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Cook County
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares Cook County with other counties for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among counties | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinarians | 76 | #141 of 1,485 | 458 | 2.2 | $4.3M | 158 | 332 |
| Convenience stores | 73 | #335 of 2,261 | 845 | 4.0 | $15.7M | 199 | 437 |
| Pet businesses | 72 | #214 of 2,200 | 1,508 | 7.2 | $1.3M | 148 | 816 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 69 | #248 of 1,461 | 560 | 2.7 | $3.5M | 138 | 342 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 68 | #273 of 1,493 | 499 | 2.4 | $5.6M | 192 | 1,241 |
| Pet stores | 67 | #206 of 974 | 319 | 1.5 | $6.2M | 136 | 142 |
| Chiropractors | 67 | #279 of 1,490 | 931 | 4.4 | $3.5M | 144 | 555 |
| Pest control | 66 | #134 of 699 | 142 | 0.7 | $19.7M | 193 | 108 |
| Electricians | 66 | #225 of 1,160 | 389 | 1.9 | $15.9M | 132 | 1,007 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 65 | #68 of 325 | 123 | 0.6 | $26.1M | 106 | 100 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 65 | #335 of 1,707 | 1,095 | 5.2 | $5.7M | 119 | 1,377 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 64 | #361 of 1,771 | 1,027 | 4.9 | $2.7M | 163 | 2,482 |
| Home repair trades | 64 | #399 of 2,057 | 2,065 | 9.8 | $3M | 123 | 2,738 |
| Roofing and gutters | 62 | #324 of 1,177 | 581 | 2.8 | $10.6M | 126 | 354 |
| Gyms | 61 | #482 of 1,792 | 1,458 | 6.9 | $1.6M | 120 | 632 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 60 | #426 of 1,302 | 1,003 | 4.8 | $3.2M | 102 | 319 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 59 | #819 of 2,402 | 3,018 | 14.4 | $4.4M | 130 | 1,782 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 58 | #429 of 1,334 | 930 | 4.4 | $2.4M | 121 | 587 |
| Gas stations | 57 | #860 of 2,358 | 1,470 | 7.0 | $2.8M | 118 | 1,036 |
| Tire shops | 56 | #622 of 1,530 | 520 | 2.5 | $3.2M | 129 | 195 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 55 | #794 of 2,088 | 2,945 | 14.0 | $774K | 117 | 1,219 |
| Pizza | 55 | #819 of 2,090 | 1,477 | 7.0 | $6.1M | 119 | 4,656 |
| Home inspectors | 54 | #166 of 415 | 113 | 0.5 | Index only | 106 | 85 |
| Car washes and detailing | 52 | #667 of 1,451 | 565 | 2.7 | $3M | 118 | 267 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 51 | #373 of 777 | 557 | 2.7 | $4.1M | 101 | 632 |
| Funeral homes | 51 | #677 of 1,472 | 428 | 2.0 | $644K | 95 | 224 |
| House cleaning | 50 | #415 of 847 | 386 | 1.8 | $7.3M | 113 | 1,133 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 50 | #1,129 of 2,222 | 2,803 | 13.3 | $3.2M | 104 | 4,656 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 49 | #864 of 1,656 | 1,734 | 8.3 | $1.9M | 104 | 3,409 |
| Physical therapy | 47 | #797 of 1,422 | 1,330 | 6.3 | $2.4M | 101 | 1,015 |
| Barbershops | 46 | #810 of 1,356 | 1,243 | 5.9 | $1.8M | 96 | 161 |
| Grocery stores | 46 | #1,135 of 2,070 | 1,402 | 6.7 | $9.4M | 102 | 1,345 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 46 | #1,175 of 2,063 | 2,491 | 11.9 | $3.6M | 97 | 1,245 |
| Spas and skin care | 45 | #1,060 of 1,769 | 2,322 | 11.1 | $969K | 111 | 537 |
| Auto repair and car care | 45 | #1,407 of 2,401 | 5,571 | 26.5 | $302K | 112 | 2,889 |
| Hair salons | 45 | #1,425 of 2,339 | 5,038 | 24.0 | $447K | 104 | 1,535 |
| Child care and preschools | 44 | #971 of 1,611 | 1,127 | 5.4 | $942K | 94 | 1,633 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 43 | #314 of 479 | 130 | 0.6 | $12.9M | 94 | 122 |
| Nail salons | 43 | #888 of 1,328 | 1,411 | 6.7 | $1.6M | 95 | 522 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 41 | #1,252 of 1,889 | 2,344 | 11.2 | $3.8M | 92 | 1,460 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 41 | #1,366 of 2,087 | 3,785 | 18.0 | $1.2M | 95 | 1,791 |
| Laundromats | 40 | #508 of 785 | 388 | 1.8 | $11.7M | 94 | 260 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 39 | #1,653 of 2,405 | 25,758 | 122.6 | $347K | 94 | 10,283 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 38 | #936 of 1,327 | 574 | 2.7 | $2.9M | 95 | 511 |
| Auto repair shops | 38 | #1,722 of 2,378 | 3,653 | 17.4 | $460K | 103 | 2,190 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 38 | #1,811 of 2,385 | 10,317 | 49.1 | $218K | 103 | 2,786 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 37 | #1,773 of 2,405 | 14,901 | 70.9 | $600K | 90 | 4,330 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 36 | #1,666 of 2,210 | 5,650 | 26.9 | $806K | 92 | 2,381 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 35 | #707 of 887 | 943 | 4.5 | Index only | 85 | 336 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 35 | #1,486 of 1,886 | 3,257 | 15.5 | $987K | 100 | 2,725 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 33 | #1,988 of 2,394 | 23,588 | 112.3 | $136K | 89 | 8,123 |
| Property management | 31 | #773 of 910 | 726 | 3.5 | Index only | 78 | 1,193 |
| Dry cleaners | 30 | #436 of 507 | 398 | 1.9 | $11.4M | 73 | 330 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 30 | #2,022 of 2,176 | 6,124 | 29.2 | Index only | 94 | 2,483 |
| Real estate | 27 | #2,146 of 2,229 | 7,906 | 37.6 | Index only | 92 | 4,797 |
| Insurance agencies | 17 | #2,146 of 2,272 | 3,486 | 16.6 | $710K | 57 | 2,054 |
Household spending in Cook County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1.7B | $800 | 83 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $4.1B | $1,962 | 76 |
| Food away from home | $8.9B | $4,255 | 105 |
| Groceries | $13.2B | $6,307 | 100 |
| Personal care products and services | $2.2B | $1,071 | 107 |
| Child care and other personal services | $1.1B | $506 | 87 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $2.3B | $1,085 | 110 |
| Medical and dental services | $3.2B | $1,531 | 119 |
| Pets | $2B | $935 | 103 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $4.6B | $2,168 | 105 |
| Vehicle insurance | $2.5B | $1,179 | 60 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $6.2B | $2,946 | 98 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $2.8B | $1,334 | 94 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $31.4B | $14,972 | 90 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in Cook County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 5,194,625−1.3% since 2020
- Households
- 2,100,230
- Median age
- 39.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 58%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.4
- Land area
- 945 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 5,484
- Median household income
- $83,498+29.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $120,729
- Median home value
- $324,500
- Jobs located here
- 2,683,238
- Daytime population
- 5,468,881Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Cook County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of Cook County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
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Questions
How fast is Cook County, IL growing?
Population estimates put Cook County at 5,194,625 people in 2025, down 1.3% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 2,100,230 households. Median household income rose 29.1% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
How much do households in Cook County, IL spend?
Households in Cook County spend about $31.4B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $13.2B on groceries and $8.9B on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in Cook County spend the most on medical and dental services (an index of 119, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on vehicle insurance (60).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Cook County, IL?
The highest Groundwork market scores in Cook County are for veterinarians (76), convenience stores (73) and pet businesses (72). Cook County ranks #141 of 1,485 scored counties for veterinarians.
How does Cook County, IL compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in Cook County is $83,498 a year, 3% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 1.3% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $324,500, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, Cook County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for dry cleaners (46% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for pest control companies (50% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. All 56 business types have a score in Cook County, each ranked against other counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Cook County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Illinois · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in Cook County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Cook County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.