Census place 1738934

Kankakee

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Kankakee city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Kankakee.

According to the 2025 estimate, Kankakee has a population of 23,400 and 1,546 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 225 covered Illinois places are: median home value is $104,900, below the comparison median of $274,000; median household income is $47,514, below the comparison median of $90,282; and population density is 1,546/sq mi, below the comparison median of 2,707/sq mi. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$104,900
Below the comparison median of $274,000
median household income
$47,514
Below the comparison median of $90,282
population density
1,546/sq mi
Below the comparison median of 2,707/sq mi

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Kankakee's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
23,400
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.3%
Population estimate
Density
1,546/sq mi
15.1 sq mi land area
Median age
36.1 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$47,514
Median home value
$104,900
Median gross rent
$1,023
Bachelor’s degree or higher
13%
Typical commute
22 min
Drive-alone commute
75.1%
Public transit commute
2.7%
Walked to work
2.6%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
49.2%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
53.6%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
52.6%
Unemployed residents 16+
4.3%
Working from home
4.7%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
84.6%
Homes built 2020+
0.5%
Households without a vehicle
14.7%
Households with children
33.3%
Residents with a disability
18.8%
Residents without insurance
8.6%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Kankakee County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
3
Hurricane declarations
1
Severe Storm declarations
1
Snowstorm declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: CHICAGO MIDWAY AP (48 mi from place center)
Average high
60.3°F
Average low
44.1°F
Annual rainfall
34.4"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Kankakee.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Ottumwa, IA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
25,319
Median home
$106,300

Burlington, IA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
23,336
Median home
$114,300

East Chicago, IN

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
25,610
Median home
$105,400

Keep exploring

Compare Kankakee with Ottumwa