Wilmette, Kenilworth's Populations Grew In 2024

WILMETTE-KENILWORTH, IL — Populations of places across the Prairie State grew modestly from 2023 to 2024, according to new data release from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 shows population gains across every corner of the U.S., with the Southern and Western regions taking the lead. While New York City, Houston and Los Angeles saw the greatest numeric gains during this time, some cities in the Midwest marked their first population increase in recent years.

In Wilmette, the population increased from 27,244 to 27,443 in 2024, representing a 0.73 percent uptick. In Kenilworth, the population grew from 2.425 to 2,437, recording a 0.49 percent increase. Communities across Chicago's North Shore also saw slight increases, with Highland Park marking a nearly 1 percent increase and Evanston recording a 0.52 percent increase.

“Many population growth rates reversed or saw major changes between 2023and 2024,” said Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. “Cities in the Northeast that had experienced population declines in 2023 are now experiencing significant population growth, on average. In fact, cities of all sizes, in all regions, showed faster growth and larger gains than in 2023, except for small cities in the South, whose average population growth rate remained the same.”

According to the Census Bureau the Midwest showed modest population growth, with growth recorded in places of all sizes.

• Places with fewer than 5,000 residents saw an average growth of 0.1 percent.
• Those with populations between 5,000 and 9,999 recorded an average 0.6 percent increase.
• Cities and towns with 10,000 to 49,999 residents grew by an average of 0.7 percent.
• Places with population of 50,000 or more also saw an average 0.7 percent increase.

Illinois ranks sixth overall among the most populous states in the U.S., though the number of residents has decreased slightly since the pandemic. In 2020, the population in the Prairie State was an estimated 12,821,814, compared to 12,710,158 recorded in 2024.

Despite that, Chicago, the state's most populous city, remained in the top 3 for total population behind New York and Los Angeles. Chicago's population in 2024 was estimated to be 2,721,308 people.

Here are some national highlights from the report:

• Washington, D.C., added nearly 15,000 residents in 2024 — almost twice its 2023 growth.
• Los Angeles returned to the top gainers list for the first time since 2016, adding over 31,000 people and ranking third nationally.
• Jacksonville, FL (1,009,833) and Fort Worth, Texas (1,008,106) both surpassed 1 million residents.
• Twelve of the 15 biggest population gainers were in the South or West, though New York City topped the list with an increase of 87,184. Others in the top five included Houston, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Fort Worth.
• Seven cities passed 100,000 residents, five of them in the South. The remaining two — Tracy, Calif., and Federal Way, Wash. — are in the West.
• Twenty-two cities in 16 states surpassed 20,000 residents, with most located in the South.