Bay View Gardens, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 281, Bay View Gardens's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Bay View Gardens is a small community located in Illinois, within Woodford County. The total population is 281. It ranks as the 1102nd most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bay View Gardens is 47.2 years. This is 21% higher than the state median of 39.0 years. Only 13.5% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bay View Gardens is $52,679. This is 37% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 35% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.9%. This is 60% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 1.6%. This is 73% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $122,800. Housing costs are 53% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Bay View Gardens is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 71.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Bay View Gardens was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 99.3% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

8.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 77% lower 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 73.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Bay View Gardens, 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.