Decatur, IL Demographics

A map of Decatur's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	45,319	44,371	64.9%	62.9%
Black	16,237	18,606	23.3%	26.4%
Multiracial	4,473	3,995	6.4%	5.7%
Hispanic	2,311	2,167	3.3%	3.1%
Asian	1,029	910	1.5%	1.3%
Native American/Other	446	473	0.6%	0.7%

Decatur, Illinois has an estimated population of 69,815, a slight decrease from the 70,522 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.9% White, 23.3% Black, 6.4% Multiracial, 3.3% Hispanic, 1.5% Asian, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Decatur, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Decatur has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less 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 Decatur, that probability was 53.0% in 2020 and 51.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Decatur is ranked the 17th most populous place in Illinois, out of 1,461 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Decatur was ranked the 17th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Decatur's White Population

45,319 residents of Decatur, or 64.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Decatur is higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Decatur ranks 1290th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Decatur's White population has grown by an estimated 2.1%. White residents' share of Decatur's population has increased from 62.9% to 64.9%.

Decatur is less White than neighboring Forsyth (82% White), Elwin (100% White), Mount Zion (90.2% White), Long Creek (96.3% White), and Oreana (87.6% White).

Decatur's Black Population

16,237 residents of Decatur, or 23.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Decatur is higher than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Decatur ranks 69th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Decatur's Black population has declined by an estimated 12.7%. Black residents' share of Decatur's population has decreased from 26.4% to 23.3%.

Decatur is more Black than neighboring Forsyth (1% Black), Elwin (0% Black), Mount Zion (2.2% Black), Long Creek (0.6% Black), and Oreana (2.9% Black).

Decatur's Asian Population

1,029 residents of Decatur, or 1.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Decatur is slightly lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Decatur ranks 317th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Decatur's Asian population has grown by an estimated 13.1%. Asian residents' share of Decatur's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.5%.

Decatur is more Asian than neighboring Elwin (0% Asian), Long Creek (0% Asian), and Oreana (0.3% Asian). Decatur is less Asian than neighboring Forsyth (4.8% Asian), and Mount Zion (4.3% Asian).

Decatur's Hispanic Population

2,311 residents of Decatur, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Decatur is significantly lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Decatur ranks 730th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Decatur's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 6.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Decatur's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.3%.

Decatur is more Hispanic than neighboring Elwin (0% Hispanic), Mount Zion (2.1% Hispanic), and Long Creek (0.3% Hispanic). Decatur is less Hispanic than neighboring Forsyth (3.8% Hispanic), and Oreana (4.5% Hispanic).

Decatur's Native American/Other Population

446 residents of Decatur, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Decatur is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Decatur ranks 294th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Decatur's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 5.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Decatur's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Decatur is more Native American/Other than neighboring Forsyth (0% Native American/Other), Elwin (0% Native American/Other), Long Creek (0% Native American/Other), and Oreana (0% Native American/Other).

Decatur's Multiracial Population

4,473 residents of Decatur, or 6.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Decatur is slightly higher than in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Decatur ranks 167th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,461 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Decatur's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 12.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Decatur's population has increased from 5.7% to 6.4%.

Decatur is more Multiracial than neighboring Elwin (0% Multiracial), Mount Zion (0.5% Multiracial), Long Creek (2.7% Multiracial), and Oreana (4.7% Multiracial). Decatur is less Multiracial than neighboring Forsyth (8.5% 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.