Community Profile

Location

We are located approximately 17 miles northwest of downtown Chicago near O’Hare International Airport. We are a vibrant, diverse collection of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses, encompassing roughly 15 square miles of land area. Des Plaines’ neighboring communities include Park Ridge, Glenview, Mount Prospect, Rosemont, and Chicago.

Demographics

Population via the 2020 Census: 60,675 (+2,311 since 2010)

Median Household Income: $79,453

Average Household Size: 2.6

  • 1-Person 6,580 (28.7%)
  • 2-Person 7,061 (30.9%)
  • 3-Person 3,722 (16.3%)
  • 4-or-More-Person 5,524 (24.1%)

Housing Type:

  • Single Family, Detached 14,102 (58.4%)
  • Single Family, Attached 1,774 (7.3%)
  • 2 Units 266 (1.1%)
  • 3 or 4 Units 592 (2.5%)
  • 5 to 9 Units 769 (3.2%)
  • 10 to 19 Units 1,003 (4.2%)
  • 20 or More Units 5,096 (21.1%)
  • Mobile Home/Other 543 (2.2%)

Source: 2018-2022 American Community Survey five-year estimates. *“Other” includes boats, recreational vehicles (RVs), vans, etc.

The above data is from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Community Data Snapshot Municipality Series, July 2024 Release.

Principal Employers

Employer # of Employees
Rivers Casino 1500
UOP LLC 1300
Oakton College 1200
Kalavara Inc. 1000
Sysco Food Services 729
Acuity Brands Lighting Inc. 701
Family Behavioral Health Clinic 650
Ascension Holy Family Medicine 606
Abbott Molecular Inc. 500
Warehouse Direct 400
Omnicare 400
United Displaycraft 250

Data Source: Data Axle Reference Solution and Direct Reporting

Land Use and Property Value

In 2024, the value of property in Des Plaines had an equalized assessed value (EAV) of $2.82B, an increase of $111.3M from the prior year. This is a 4.1% increase from the prior year.

Trend in equalized assessed valuations bar graph showing a general increase over time

The principal uses of land in the City breakdown as follows:

General Land Use

  • Single-Family Residential: 33.5%
  • Multi-Family Residential: 2.5%
  • Commercial: 6.8%
  • Industrial: 9.9%
  • Institutional: 9.6%
  • Transportation and Other: 26.9%
  • Open Space: 9.2%
  • Vacant and Mixed Use; 1.6%

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Analysis of the 2020 Land Use Inventory.

Construction is Booming in Des Plaines

Construction valuation (or the estimated cost of the entire construction project) increased by 6 times from 2012 to 2019. Even with the pandemic, construction activity in 2020 only dipped slightly. When investment occurs in Des Plaines, it benefits our entire community. It generates tax dollars, which builds a stronger tax base, it creates jobs, revitalizes distressed areas, creates an attractive marketplace and much more!

The table below depicts single-family residential, multi-family residential and miscellaneous construction activity as well as total value of all construction in the City during the ten-year period ending December 31, 2023.

Year # of Single-Family Value (Single-Family) # of Multi-Family Value (Multi-Family) Misc. Value Total Value
2014 4 2,312,000 90,188,000 92,500,000
2015 9 5,384,000 50,961,000 56,345,000
2016 28 9,083,986 2 7,915,289 74,644,185 91,643,460
2017 87 20,474,538 3 65,192,000 60,256,772 145,923,310
2018 97 22,064,607 1 19,658,138 81,796,437 123,519,182
2019 44 11,524,334 175,103,522 186,627,856
2020 41 10,809,838 1 45,377,000 83,391,389 139,578,227
2021 10 5,734,017 122,074,994 127,809,011
2022 11 3,642,000 101,029,067 104,671,067
2023 8 4,743,000 204,185,059 208,928,059

Year-end statistical report, Community and Economic Development Department, Building and Code Enforcement Division, 2014-2023