Illinois Young Children by the Numbers (2023 Edition)

Expand your early childhood data knowledge while exploring demographic resources and tools available on the IECAM website. Remember, for demographic data, the Census Bureau releases its final and complete data for a given year between one and two years after the target year, depending on the geographic region. So demographic data for 2021 appeared in late 2022 and early 2023. 

Number of children in Illinois age 5 and under in 2021: 886,939

Percent of total population: 6.9%

Change from 2020: -7,830

Change in percent of total population that is age 5 and under from 2020: -0.1%

Number of children in Illinois age 2 and under in 2021: 436,728

Percent of total population: 3.4%

Change from 2020: -8,735

Change in percent of total population that is age 2 and under from 2020: -0.1%  

Illinois counties with the five highest birth rates (births per 1,000 women) in 2021: Wabash (105), Brown (102), Fayette (100), Moultrie (96), Douglas and Marshall (tied at 92)

Illinois counties with the five lowest birth rates in 2021: Gallatin (12), McDonough (17), Calhoun (21), Mason (28), Schuyler and Alexander (tied at 30) 

Percent of children age 5 and under living in families with incomes at or below 100%* of the federal poverty level (FPL) in 2021: 17.3%

Change from 2020: -0.2%

* In 2021, 100% federal poverty level (FPL) was $26,500 for a family of four.

Percent of Illinois children age 4 and under whose ethnicity is reported as Hispanic or Latino in 2021: 23.7%

Percent of Illinois children age 4 and under whose race/ethnicity is reported as Black or African American, Non-Hispanic in 2021: 15.5%

Percent of Illinois children age 4 and under whose race/ethnicity is reported as Two or More Races, Non-Hispanic in 2021: 4.7%

Illinois county with the highest percent of children age 4 and under whose ethnicity is reported as Hispanic or Latino: Kane (44.5%)

Illinois county with the highest percent of children age 4 and under whose race/ethnicity is reported as Black, Non Hispanic: St. Clair (32%)

Illinois county with the highest percent of children age 4 and under whose race/ethnicity is reported as Asian, Non-Hispanic: DuPage (12.7%)

Chicago Community Area (CCA) with the highest percent of children age 4 and under whose ethnicity is reported as Hispanic or Latino: Hegewisch (99.6%)

Chicago Community Area (CCA) with the highest percent of children age 4 and under whose race/ethnicity is reported as White, Non Hispanic: Mount Greenwood (78.6%)

Number of children age 5 and under living with two working parents: 368,934 in 2019, 371,893 in 2020, and 369,590 in 2021

Percent of children age 5 and under living with two working parents in 2019: 41.6% in 2019, 42.7% in 2020, and 42.8% in 2021

Percent of children age 5 and under living in grandparent-headed households in 2021: 9.6%

County with the highest percent of children age 5 and under living in grandparent-headed households in 2021: Hardin (35.8%)

County with the highest percent of limited English speaking households who speak Spanish: Cass (4.7%)

Counties with the highest percent of limited English speaking households who speak other languages: Cook (3.7%), Champaign (3.2%), Dupage (3%), Lake (2%)

*A limited English-speaking household is one in which no member 14 years old and over (1) speaks only English or (2) speaks a non-English language and speaks English “very well.”

Source: IECAM demographers prepared estimates of population based on Census Bureau estimates from the Population Estimates Program and the American Community Survey (ACS), 5-year estimates