State Ledger
State profile

Illinois FIPS 17

Population
12,821,813
Median household income
$72,563
Nonfarm employment
6,187,200
Business establishments
322,415

State Highlights

Largest employer sector
Health care and social assistance
857,043 employees
Business concentration
15.1%
of private employment in Health care and social assistance
Home prices, 1 year
+6.0%
FHFA
Federal outlays per capita
$7,826.02
USASpending.gov

Economy & Labor

Total nonfarm employment

BLS Current Employment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted · persons · 20 months available · latest observation: August 2026
Employment ratio
48.3%
employed ÷ population
Unemployed population (ACS)
413,041
Vs. July
▼ 18,600
Business density
25.2 per 1,000
establishments per capita

Leading Industries

Leading industries by employment

Ranked by private-sector employment, same measure as the Business & Industry tab · see the full breakdown there
1 Health care and social assistance 857,043 employees
2 Retail trade 571,091 employees
3 Manufacturing 544,438 employees
4 Accommodation and food services 523,877 employees
5 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 474,445 employees

Leading Public Companies

Top 5 by latest reported revenue

SEC EDGAR / XBRL Company Facts · see the full listing on the Public Companies tab
$80.27B
Fats & Oils
$67.69B
Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance
AbbVie Inc. · ABBV
$61.16B
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Air Transportation, Scheduled
$45.68B
Farm Machinery & Equipment

Population & People

Homeownership rate
66.5%
3.28M of 4.93M occupied homes are owner-occupied

Population by age

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimate (table B01001) · reconciles to total population
0–17
2.89M · 22.5%
18–24
1.17M · 9.1%
25–34
1.75M · 13.7%
35–44
1.68M · 13.1%
45–54
1.64M · 12.8%
55–64
1.68M · 13.1%
65–74
1.19M · 9.3%
75+
822.4K · 6.4%

Housing & Real Estate

Median home value
$212,600
Median gross rent
$1,097 / month
Vacancy rate
8.9%
Total housing units
5.41M
Owner-occupied homes
3.28M
Renter-occupied homes
1.65M
Home prices, 1 year
+6.0%
Home prices, 5 years
+46.9%
Latest FHFA period
2026 Q2

ACS: 2021 ACS 5-year · FHFA: 2026 Q2

ACS housing estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau — median home value reflects owner-reported value, not a current sale price. House-price changes are from the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, a measure of price appreciation over time, not a home-value estimate.

Federal Spending

Total federal outlays
$100.19B
Outlays per capita
$7,826.02
Total prime award value
$120.22B

Source: USASpending.gov · specific reporting period not published in this dataset