Evanston Among Top 10 ‘Creative Class’ Locations In Chicagoland

Evanston has one of the highest concentrations of people in the “creative class” within the Chicago area, according to census data on professions analyzed by Atlantic Cities. 

The website owned by The Atlantic Monthly broke down data by census tract around the Chicago area, defining “creative class” as those people working in science and technology, business and management, arts, culture, media and entertainment, law, and healthcare. 

Based on that analysis, Evanston is among the top 10 creative class locations in Chicagoland, according to Atlantic Cities, along with several neighborhoods in the city of Chicago, as well as Oak Park, Glencoe and Burr Ridge. 

Click here to read the story from Atlantic Cities.

In addition to being more “creative” than surrounding communities, Evanston’s population is also younger, wealthier, more diverse and significantly more educated than the average Illinois municipality, according to the most recent data from the census American Community Survey.

The bulk of Evanston workers (36.1 percent) classified their job as falling within the fields of educational services, health care or social assistance. The second biggest segment (16.8 percent) said they worked in professional, scientific, management or administrative and waste management services, according to the American Community Survey.