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Cook County

Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second-most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County, California. As of 2017, the population was 5,211,263. Its county seat is Chicago, the largest city in Illinois and the third-most populous city in the United States. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live in Cook County. Cook County's population is larger than that of 28 individual U.S. states, and the combined populations of the seven smallest states. There are 135 incorporated municipalities partially or wholly within Cook County, the largest of which is Chicago, which is home to approximately 54% of the population of the county. That part of the county which lies outside the Chicago city limits is divided into 29 townships; these often divide or share governmental services with local municipalities. Geographically, the county is the sixth-largest in Illinois by land area. It shares the state's Lake Michigan shoreline with Lake County. Including its lake area, the county has a total area of 1,635 square miles (4,234.6 km2), the largest county in Illinois, of which 945 square miles (2,447.5 km2) is land and 690 square miles (1,787.1 km2) (42.16%) is water. Land-use in Cook County is mainly urban and densely populated. Cook County is included in the Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, IL–IN–WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is surrounded by what are known as the five collar counties. (Source: Wikipedia)

Housing stock map

See the share of the area's total housing units that are in single family homes, condominiums, two-to-four unit buildings, buildings with five to 49 units, and buildings with 50 units or more.


The Composition of Cook County’s Housing Market >

Housing market indicators

All of these property level data sets are connected to parcel-level data files from the county Assessors offices that include data on every parcel in the Chicago metropolitan area. All of these parcel-level data sets include historical data and are updated on a regular basis ranging from every week to every year depending on the data set.

Property Sales Activity

This indicator provides information on how active local residential property markets are, what types of properties are being purchased, who is buying them, and how much buyers are paying for properties.

Total Sales Activity

This is the total number of property sales in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for total sales activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 129,087 110,765 83,141 55,111 51,546 51,503 48,594 61,115 74,992 69,329 71,587 78,973 82,908 80,848 76,463 66,943 97,794 80,019 59,938


Sales per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of property sales activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of sales on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 8.1 6.9 5.2 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.8 5.0 4.6 4.8 5.3 5.5 5.4 5.1 4.5 6.5 5.3 4.0


Share of Sales, Business Buyers

This represents a range of investor types from small mom-and-pop investors to large Wall Street-traded equity funds. Heightened levels of single family homes purchased by business buyers is often indicative of a distressed and low priced inventory of homes, and low demand for owner-occupied housing in a neighborhood. In Cook County, this data point is available as the share of total sales activity where the buyer was a business entity by property type (single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units). Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 8.2% 7.8% 7.8% 11.2% 13.0% 14.6% 15.0% 14.3% 17.2% 15.4% 15.0% 14.9% 15.7% 17.0% 15.6% 11.5% 11.7% 14.1% 14.9%


Share of Sales, Extremely Low Value

This represents the percent of sales that were purchased for less than $20,000 in a given year. In Cook County, this data point is available as the share of total sales activity that sold for less than $20,000 by property type (single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units). Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 0.6% 0.4% 0.4% 2.3% 6.7% 6.4% 5.1% 4.3% 3.8% 3.1% 2.6% 2.3% 1.9% 1.5% 1.3% 0.6% 0.5% 0.8% 0.7%


Mortgage Activity

These data measure the flow of mortgage credit into an area and indicates the level of lender investment. The level of mortgage activity in a neighborhood relative to other areas can assess how access to credit has changed over time in a community and how the flow of credit differs across geographies and for different property types.

Total Mortgage Activity

This is the total number of mortgages in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for total mortgage activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 413,576 385,613 310,269 191,103 175,637 149,186 129,977 169,028 155,301 113,439 131,134 149,923 127,972 110,753 129,938 172,057 227,761 116,966 77,607


Mortgages per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of mortgage activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of mortgage liens on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 25.9 24.2 19.5 12.0 11.0 9.4 8.2 10.6 10.3 7.5 8.7 10.0 8.5 7.4 8.6 11.5 15.2 7.8 5.2


Foreclosure Filing Activity

This is an indicator of distress in a local housing market and viewing changing levels of activity allows for an understanding of the evolving nature of the foreclosure crisis in a neighborhood.

Total Foreclosure Filings Activity

This is the total number of new foreclosure filings in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for foreclosure filing activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 16,078 21,558 30,711 41,396 44,439 48,934 40,374 41,476 24,444 16,706 14,214 12,892 12,943 11,502 10,546 3,898 2,434 8,778 5,986


Foreclosure Filings per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of foreclosure filing activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of foreclosure filings on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 1.0 1.4 1.9 2.6 2.8 3.1 2.5 2.6 1.6 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.4


Cumulative Foreclosure Filings Activity

Annual levels of foreclosure filing activity likely do not convey the impact that foreclosure has had in a particular community, as geographies vary in density and size, and the drivers behind the Great Recession foreclosure crisis led to very different annual patterns of foreclosure filing activity across the region. This indicator represents the cumulative impact of foreclosure in a neighborhood measured as the unique share of residential properties that have had at least one foreclosure filing since 2005.


Property Type 2023
All Residential Properties 20.5%


Foreclosure Auctions

These are properties that have completed the foreclosure process. Understanding foreclosure auction activity helps determine the flow of year-over-year of REO (real estate owned) properties into a market, how third-party demand at auctions differs based on property types, and the density of REO activity across geographies. The level of completed foreclosure auctions activity in a neighborhood indicates distress in a local housing market.

Total Auction Activity

This is the total number of completed foreclosure auctions in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for total auction activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 3,885 5,164 9,191 14,200 16,602 16,675 12,521 16,948 18,238 14,532 11,788 8,889 6,997 5,901 4,651 1,090 980 3,054 2,187


Share of Auctions Resulting in REO

This is the percent of completed foreclosure auctions in a given geography where there were no bidders and the property became bank-owned REO (real estate owned).


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 76.2% 86.2% 95.2% 98.3% 97.9% 96.2% 95.1% 93.0% 90.3% 88.2% 85.5% 81.5% 76.9% 72.9% 77.6% 76.9% 60.4% 75.6% 71.8%


REO per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of REO activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of auctions resulting in REO status on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.7 1.0 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 -- 0.2 0.1


Population and Age

Reflects the composition of a community's population by age.

Population and Age

Reflects the composition of a community's population by age.


Indicator Value
Total Population 5,225,367
Share of Population Aged under 18 21.5%
Share of Population Aged 18 to 44 38.6%
Share of Population Aged 45 to 64 24.7%
Share of Population Aged over 65 15.2%


Race and Ethnicity

The composition of a community's population by respondent race and ethnicity.

Race and Ethnicity

The composition of a community's population by respondent race and ethnicity.


Indicator Value
Share of Population that is White 41.1%
Share of Population that is African American 22.4%
Share of Population that is Hispanic or Latino 25.9%
Share of Population that is Asian 7.6%
Share of Population that is Some Other Race 3.0%


Household Income

Represents the composition of households by income in a particular geography.

Household Income

Represents the composition of households by income in a particular geography.


Indicator Value
Total Households 2,066,248
Share of Households with Income Less than $25,000 16.8%
Share of Households with Income $25,000 to $50,000 16.8%
Share of Households with Income $50,000 to $100,000 27.0%
Share of Households with Income $100,000 or More 39.4%


Poverty Rate

Reflects the share of the population that is below a current poverty threshold.

Share of Population that is under the Poverty Level


Indicator Value
Share of Population that is under the Poverty Level 13.4%


Resident Tenure

The composition of households by tenure indicates the share of households that rent versus the share of households that own.

Total Households

Represents the composition of households by tenure.


Indicator Value
Total Households 2,066,248


Share of Households that are Owner-Occupied

The composition of households by tenure indicates the share of households that rent versus the share of households that own.


Indicator Value
Share of Households that are Owner-Occupied 57.5%


Share of Households that are Renter-Occupied

The composition of households by tenure indicates the share of households that rent versus the share of households that own.


Indicator Value
Share of Households that are Renter-Occupied 42.5%


Cost Burdened Households

A household is considered to be cost-burdened when more than 30 percent of its income is spent on mortgage, rent, or other housing needs.

Share of Owner-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened


Indicator Value
Share of Owner-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened 27.9%


Share of Renter-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened

A household is considered to be cost-burdened when more than 30 percent of its income is spent on mortgage, rent, or other housing needs.


Indicator Value
Share of Renter-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened 48.2%


Share of All Households that are Cost-Burdened


Indicator Value
Share of All Households that are Cost-Burdened 36.3%