Arlington Heights, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Arlington Heights is a mid-sized community located in Illinois, within Cook County. The total population is 76,005. It ranks as the 15th most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Arlington Heights is 42.6 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Arlington Heights is $116,723. This is 40% higher than the state median of $83,390. It is also 45% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.0%. This is 49% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. This is 40% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $414,500. Housing costs are 57% higher than the state median of $263,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.6x. 74.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Arlington Heights is White (non-Hispanic), making up 75.0% of the population. Asian residents account for 10.4%. The Black or African American population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 13.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (8.6%) is well below the state average of 18.8%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (10.4% vs 5.9%).

Education

60.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Arlington Heights in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 60% higher than the state rate of 37.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 96.2%. Notably, 26.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Arlington Heights, Illinois is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Illinois state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.