The 10 Most Diverse Cities In Illinois For 2024


The most diverse cities in Illinois are Glendale Heights and Bolingbrook for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.


Most Diverse Cities In Illinois

Racial diversity in Illinois is a mixed bag.

There are parts of Illinois where there’s a high level of diversity. But where will you find the most diverse places in Illinois?

To answer that question, we went to the US Census data. Using Saturday Night Science, we measured the Gini coefficient for all 330 cities in Illinois to rank them from most to least diverse.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Here are the 10 most diverse places in Illinois for 2024:

  1. Glendale Heights
  2. Bolingbrook
  3. Chicago
  4. North Chicago
  5. Hanover Park
  6. Zion
  7. Aurora
  8. Streamwood
  9. Round Lake
  10. Alsip

So what city is the most diverse in Illinois? According to the most Census data, Glendale Heights took the number one over all spot for diversity in Illinois.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. To see where Illinois ranked as a state, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in Ameria.

For more Illinois reading:

The 10 Most Diverse Places In Illinois For 2024

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 33,088
HHI: 2,606
% White: 29.6%
% African American: 10.3%
% Hispanic: 33.3%
% Asian: 22.3%
More on Glendale Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Bolingbrook, IL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 73,755
HHI: 2,717
% White: 38.5%
% African American: 17.7%
% Hispanic: 27.2%
% Asian: 13.0%
More on Bolingbrook: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Chicago, IL

Source: Flickr User ::RodrixParedes:: | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 2,721,914
HHI: 2,769
% White: 32.7%
% African American: 28.4%
% Hispanic: 29.0%
% Asian: 6.9%
More on Chicago: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 30,890
HHI: 2,802
% White: 29.5%
% African American: 24.4%
% Hispanic: 35.9%
% Asian: 5.2%
More on North Chicago: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Hanover Park, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Ichabod | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 37,222
HHI: 2,942
% White: 31.9%
% African American: 7.7%
% Hispanic: 38.5%
% Asian: 19.4%
More on Hanover Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Zion, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Original uploader was Dhalls at en.wikipedia | CC-BY-SA-3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 24,570
HHI: 2,964
% White: 28.4%
% African American: 21.6%
% Hispanic: 40.7%
% Asian: 3.5%
More on Zion: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Aurora, IL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 181,405
HHI: 3,128
% White: 33.3%
% African American: 10.3%
% Hispanic: 42.3%
% Asian: 10.7%
More on Aurora: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 39,556
HHI: 3,193
% White: 40.5%
% African American: 5.1%
% Hispanic: 36.3%
% Asian: 14.0%
More on Streamwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 18,677
HHI: 3,244
% White: 45.5%
% African American: 4.8%
% Hispanic: 30.1%
% Asian: 15.5%
More on Round Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 18,866
HHI: 3,289
% White: 45.6%
% African American: 23.0%
% Hispanic: 25.8%
% Asian: 1.9%
More on Alsip: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Methodology: How we determined the most diverse cities in Illinois for 2024

We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census — and Saturday Night Science. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Illinois.

That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2018-2022 American Community Survey data from the US Census.

Specifically, we looked at table B03002: HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:

  • White alone*
  • Black or African American alone*
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
  • Asian alone*
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
  • Some other race alone*
  • Two or more races*
  • Hispanic or Latino
* Not Hispanic or latino

We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 330 cities.

We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 2,606 (Glendale Heights) to 9,339 (West Frankfort).

Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI, with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Glendale Heights took the distinction of being the most diverse, while West Frankfort was the least diverse city.

We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most diverse places in Illinois.

Summary: Diversity Across Illinois

If you’re looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across Illinois, this is an accurate list.

The most diverse cities in Illinois are Glendale Heights, Bolingbrook, Chicago, North Chicago, Hanover Park, Zion, Aurora, Streamwood, Round Lake, and Alsip.

If you’re curious enough, here are the least diverse places in Illinois:

  1. West Frankfort
  2. Litchfield
  3. Waterloo

For more Illinois reading, check out:

Race By City In Illinois For 2024

Rank City Population HHI % White % Black % Hispanic % Asian
1 Glendale Heights, IL 33,088 2,606 29.6% 10.3% 33.3% 22.3%
2 Bolingbrook, IL 73,755 2,717 38.5% 17.7% 27.2% 13.0%
3 Chicago, IL 2,721,914 2,769 32.7% 28.4% 29.0% 6.9%
4 North Chicago, IL 30,890 2,802 29.5% 24.4% 35.9% 5.2%
5 Hanover Park, IL 37,222 2,942 31.9% 7.7% 38.5% 19.4%
6 Zion, IL 24,570 2,964 28.4% 21.6% 40.7% 3.5%
7 Aurora, IL 181,405 3,128 33.3% 10.3% 42.3% 10.7%
8 Streamwood, IL 39,556 3,193 40.5% 5.1% 36.3% 14.0%
9 Round Lake, IL 18,677 3,244 45.5% 4.8% 30.1% 15.5%
10 Alsip, IL 18,866 3,289 45.6% 23.0% 25.8% 1.9%
11 Romeoville, IL 40,132 3,297 43.4% 11.0% 35.2% 6.7%
12 Skokie, IL 67,076 3,308 49.0% 8.9% 11.1% 26.3%
13 Chicago Heights, IL 27,366 3,349 21.2% 39.4% 36.6% 0.2%
14 Rantoul, IL 12,544 3,357 49.9% 22.5% 14.5% 0.7%
15 Kankakee, IL 24,795 3,360 35.1% 41.1% 20.7% 1.0%
16 Joliet, IL 150,221 3,382 44.3% 16.9% 33.5% 1.9%
17 Monee, IL 5,120 3,393 47.2% 28.0% 19.0% 2.5%
18 Lansing, IL 28,713 3,394 27.8% 47.2% 19.4% 2.3%
19 Hoffman Estates, IL 51,744 3,398 49.3% 4.9% 18.0% 24.6%
20 Midlothian, IL 14,200 3,425 46.3% 9.6% 33.9% 4.8%
21 Berkeley, IL 5,283 3,452 25.4% 25.0% 46.7% 1.7%
22 Waukegan, IL 89,435 3,510 19.2% 17.8% 52.6% 7.0%
23 Rockford, IL 148,173 3,516 51.7% 21.4% 19.1% 3.5%
24 Blue Island, IL 22,934 3,523 20.4% 33.2% 44.8% 0.4%
25 Crest Hill, IL 19,886 3,552 51.0% 21.0% 22.3% 2.1%
26 Carol Stream, IL 39,656 3,584 53.8% 6.8% 16.3% 19.1%
27 Beach Park, IL 13,995 3,591 35.4% 13.4% 46.3% 3.4%
28 Wheeling, IL 38,823 3,595 48.1% 1.1% 31.8% 16.4%
29 Hillside, IL 8,213 3,673 18.2% 48.7% 31.1% 1.4%
30 Justice, IL 12,525 3,682 53.1% 21.3% 19.8% 2.8%
31 West Chicago, IL 25,632 3,719 35.4% 3.1% 48.5% 10.0%
32 Elgin, IL 114,190 3,726 37.6% 5.1% 47.3% 6.0%
33 East Moline, IL 20,937 3,732 55.2% 16.9% 19.2% 3.4%
34 Urbana, IL 38,741 3,733 56.1% 16.8% 8.4% 14.7%
35 Forest Park, IL 14,165 3,761 54.6% 25.3% 9.5% 6.7%
36 Schaumburg, IL 77,571 3,792 55.0% 5.5% 11.7% 24.5%
37 Champaign, IL 88,628 3,809 56.7% 17.0% 6.2% 15.9%
38 Peoria, IL 113,054 3,828 54.9% 26.4% 7.1% 6.6%
39 Addison, IL 35,685 3,833 45.5% 3.4% 40.9% 8.9%
40 Rolling Meadows, IL 24,054 3,862 54.6% 3.2% 26.7% 12.2%
41 Fairview Heights, IL 16,360 3,868 53.0% 30.3% 3.5% 1.3%
42 Evergreen Park, IL 19,730 3,880 55.8% 22.6% 15.5% 2.4%
43 Evanston, IL 77,181 3,896 58.4% 16.1% 11.3% 9.2%
44 Mundelein, IL 31,583 3,900 51.7% 2.3% 33.4% 10.3%
45 Woodridge, IL 34,027 3,913 58.2% 10.8% 15.7% 12.3%
46 Steger, IL 9,518 3,968 56.5% 15.8% 22.6% 1.0%
47 Carpentersville, IL 37,834 4,018 31.5% 4.7% 54.4% 6.3%
48 Beardstown, IL 5,884 4,019 49.8% 6.4% 38.6% 1.6%
49 Crete, IL 8,425 4,049 52.7% 34.6% 7.4% 1.0%
50 Homewood, IL 19,868 4,050 39.0% 49.8% 6.3% 1.0%
51 Dekalb, IL 40,697 4,060 59.5% 14.5% 16.1% 4.7%
52 Bensenville, IL 18,673 4,063 42.5% 6.0% 47.0% 3.1%
53 Westchester, IL 16,694 4,073 57.8% 19.2% 18.7% 3.3%
54 Vernon Hills, IL 26,750 4,083 57.2% 1.6% 11.9% 25.5%
55 Carbondale, IL 22,039 4,083 57.0% 27.3% 5.0% 7.1%
56 Oak Park, IL 53,834 4,108 60.0% 18.8% 9.3% 5.7%
57 Chicago Ridge, IL 14,284 4,136 59.9% 7.9% 19.8% 2.8%
58 Des Plaines, IL 60,087 4,142 59.3% 3.5% 20.7% 13.1%
59 South Elgin, IL 23,841 4,146 58.8% 5.3% 23.7% 9.5%
60 Morton Grove, IL 24,910 4,158 54.5% 1.5% 6.8% 33.5%
61 Gurnee, IL 30,629 4,199 61.2% 7.6% 14.5% 13.2%
62 Pingree Grove, IL 10,213 4,202 61.2% 12.9% 15.5% 6.3%
63 Palatine, IL 67,223 4,219 60.3% 4.3% 19.7% 13.0%
64 Round Lake Beach, IL 27,229 4,262 38.3% 4.6% 52.6% 1.9%
65 Danville, IL 29,100 4,268 55.7% 33.0% 8.0% 1.3%
66 Rock Island, IL 37,264 4,352 62.3% 16.0% 13.6% 4.4%
67 Plano, IL 11,113 4,362 53.9% 4.3% 37.8% 2.7%
68 Gilberts, IL 8,180 4,365 58.8% 0.2% 28.8% 6.2%
69 Belleville, IL 42,155 4,393 58.4% 30.6% 4.2% 0.9%
70 Sauk Village, IL 9,862 4,399 18.8% 62.1% 12.3% 0.4%
71 Burbank, IL 29,122 4,402 46.2% 1.3% 47.5% 2.5%
72 Lincolnwood, IL 13,268 4,459 61.9% 3.5% 9.4% 23.0%
73 Bartlett, IL 40,829 4,478 63.0% 3.9% 15.0% 16.4%
74 Buffalo Grove, IL 42,934 4,478 61.4% 3.6% 6.8% 25.4%
75 Berwyn, IL 56,556 4,490 26.2% 8.2% 61.0% 3.6%
76 South Barrington, IL 5,001 4,503 52.0% 0.5% 0.0% 42.2%
77 Niles, IL 30,637 4,505 62.4% 2.0% 12.0% 21.4%
78 Prospect Heights, IL 15,861 4,509 58.7% 1.2% 31.8% 7.4%
79 Elmwood Park, IL 24,281 4,509 57.4% 2.0% 34.5% 4.2%
80 Westmont, IL 24,271 4,513 64.2% 5.8% 13.2% 13.3%
81 Schiller Park, IL 11,600 4,521 58.4% 1.1% 32.6% 6.5%
82 Harvey, IL 20,035 4,549 3.2% 58.8% 32.7% 2.3%
83 Round Lake Park, IL 7,778 4,555 47.8% 1.7% 47.6% 0.6%
84 Mount Prospect, IL 56,191 4,555 64.0% 2.8% 15.9% 13.7%
85 Naperville, IL 149,089 4,570 63.6% 4.6% 6.9% 21.0%
86 Maywood, IL 23,385 4,588 5.7% 60.2% 30.5% 1.0%
87 Bridgeview, IL 16,939 4,592 59.5% 4.1% 32.0% 2.3%
88 Lyons, IL 10,687 4,611 40.1% 3.1% 54.7% 1.3%
89 Northlake, IL 12,683 4,632 30.1% 4.1% 60.8% 2.9%
90 Oak Brook, IL 8,065 4,653 61.3% 1.1% 4.9% 29.4%
91 Oswego, IL 34,810 4,673 65.1% 9.9% 17.5% 2.9%
92 Montgomery, IL 20,644 4,682 60.1% 4.8% 32.3% 1.1%
93 Highwood, IL 5,227 4,689 56.4% 2.5% 38.7% 1.1%
94 Itasca, IL 9,627 4,706 65.5% 1.1% 11.6% 15.3%
95 Glenwood, IL 8,542 4,730 24.4% 63.8% 5.6% 0.3%
96 Villa Park, IL 22,753 4,734 63.9% 5.1% 24.7% 3.3%
97 Harvard, IL 9,705 4,759 43.5% 0.4% 53.5% 0.1%
98 Franklin Park, IL 18,374 4,771 36.9% 0.7% 58.3% 3.1%
99 Belvidere, IL 25,389 4,777 58.3% 1.6% 37.0% 1.5%
100 Pontoon Beach, IL 6,039 4,783 66.4% 7.4% 17.2% 4.6%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.