Cook County Demographics

A map of Cook County's Population by Race

Cook County, Illinois has an estimated population of 5,182,090, a slight decrease from the 5,275,541 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 40.1% White, 26.8% Hispanic, 21.8% Black, 7.9% Asian, 3.0% Multiracial, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cook County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cook is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Illinois overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cook County, that probability was 71.0% in 2020 and 71.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cook County is ranked the most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. Cook County was ranked the 1st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cook County's White Population

2,077,522 residents of Cook County, or 40.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cook County is significantly lower than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Cook County ranks 102nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cook County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.7%. White residents' share of Cook County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 40.1%.

Cook County is less White than neighboring Lake County (56.2% White), DuPage County (62.2% White), Lake County (51.4% White), Will County (58.6% White), and Kenosha County (71.5% White).

Cook County's Black Population

1,130,881 residents of Cook County, or 21.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cook County is higher than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Cook County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cook County's Black population has declined by an estimated 4.6%. Black residents' share of Cook County's population has decreased from 22.5% to 21.8%.

Cook County is more Black than neighboring Lake County (6.3% Black), DuPage County (4.8% Black), Will County (11.6% Black), and Kenosha County (5.9% Black). Cook County is less Black than neighboring Lake County (22.7% Black).

Cook County's Asian Population

407,859 residents of Cook County, or 7.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cook County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Cook County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cook County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Cook County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 7.9%.

Cook County is more Asian than neighboring Lake County (1.6% Asian), Will County (6.3% Asian), and Kenosha County (1.8% Asian). Cook County is less Asian than neighboring Lake County (8.6% Asian), and DuPage County (13% Asian).

Cook County's Hispanic Population

1,387,163 residents of Cook County, or 26.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cook County is higher than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Cook County ranks 2nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cook County's Hispanic population has remained roughly the same. Hispanic residents' share of Cook County's population has increased from 26.2% to 26.8%.

Cook County is more Hispanic than neighboring Lake County (24.9% Hispanic), DuPage County (16.1% Hispanic), Lake County (20.9% Hispanic), Will County (19.8% Hispanic), and Kenosha County (15.2% Hispanic).

Cook County's Native American/Other Population

25,681 residents of Cook County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cook County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Cook County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cook County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 5.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cook County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Cook County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Will County (0.4% Native American/Other). Cook County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Lake County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Kenosha County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Cook County's Multiracial Population

152,984 residents of Cook County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cook County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Cook County ranks 90th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cook County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 12.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Cook County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.

Cook County is more Multiracial than neighboring Lake County (2.9% Multiracial). Cook County is less Multiracial than neighboring Lake County (3.3% Multiracial), DuPage County (3.5% Multiracial), Will County (3.4% Multiracial), and Kenosha County (4.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.