Demographics Chicago

during first hundred years, chicago 1 of fastest-growing cities in world. when founded in 1833, fewer 200 people had settled on american frontier. time of first census, 7 years later, population had reached on 4,000. in forty years 1850 1890, city s population grew under 30,000 on 1 million. @ end of 19th century, chicago fifth-largest city in world, , largest of cities did not exist @ dawn of century. within sixty years of great chicago fire of 1871, population went 300,000 on 3 million, , reached highest ever recorded population of 3.6 million 1950 census.

from last 2 decades of 19th century, chicago destination of waves of immigrants ireland, southern, central , eastern europe, including italians, jews, poles, lithuanians, albanians, croatians, serbs, bosnians, montenegrins , czechs. these ethnic groups, basis of city s industrial working class, added additional influx of african-americans american south — chicago s black population doubling between 1910 , 1920 , doubling again between 1920 , 1930.

in 1920s , 1930s, great majority of african americans moving chicago clustered in so‑called black belt on city s south side. 1930, two-thirds of chicago s african-american population lived in sections of city 90% black in racial composition. chicago s south side emerged america s second-largest urban black concentration, following new york s harlem.

chicago s population declined sharply in latter half of 20th century, on 3.6 million in 1950 down under 2.7 million 2010. in 1984, overtaken los angeles america s second largest city.

since 2010, chicago s population has rebounded adding 25,000 people in recent 2015 population estimates.

per u.s. census estimates of july 2016, chicago s largest racial or ethnic group non-hispanic white @ 32.6% of population hispanic population increasing 29.7% of population , blacks declining 29.3% of population 32.9% in 2010. city s previous largest ethnic group, non-hispanic white, declined 59% in 1970 31.7% in 2010.

map of racial distribution in chicago, 2010 u.s. census. each dot 25 people: white, black, asian, hispanic or other (yellow)

as of 2010 census, there 2,695,598 people 1,045,560 households living in chicago. more half population of state of illinois lives in chicago metropolitan area. chicago 1 of united states densely populated major cities, , largest city in great lakes megalopolis. racial composition of city was:

45.0% white (31.7% non-hispanic whites);
32.9% black or african american;
28.9% hispanic or latino (of race);
13.4% other race;
5.5% asian (1.6% chinese, 1.1% indian, 1.1% filipino, 0.4% korean, 0.3% pakistani, 0.3% vietnamese, 0.2% japanese, 0.1% thai);
2.7% 2 or more races;
0.5% american indian.

chicago has hispanic or latino population of 28.9%. (its members may belong race; 21.4% mexican, 3.8% puerto rican, 0.7% guatemalan, 0.6% ecuadorian, 0.3% cuban, 0.3% colombian, 0.2% honduran, 0.2% salvadoran, 0.2% peruvian)

chicago has third-largest lgbt population in united states. in 2015, 4% of population identified lgbt. since 2013 legalization of same-sex marriage in illinois, on 10,000 same-sex couples have wed in cook county, majority in chicago.

according u.s. census bureau s american community survey data estimates 2008–2012, median income household in city $47,408, , median income family $54,188. male full-time workers had median income of $47,074 versus $42,063 females. 18.3% of families , 22.1% of population lived below poverty line.

according 2008–2012 american community survey, ancestral groups having 10,000 or more persons in chicago were:

persons identifying other groups classified @ 1.72 million, , unclassified or not reported approximately 153,000.

religion

st. mary of angels 1 of 3 polish cathedrals located in neighborhood of bucktown.

71% of chicagoans identify christians, 7% identity other faiths, , 22% have no religious affiliation. chicago has many jews, muslims, buddhists, hindus, , others. chicago headquarters of several religious denominations, including evangelical covenant church , evangelical lutheran church in america. seat of several dioceses. fourth presbyterian church 1 of largest presbyterian congregations in united states based on memberships.

the first 2 parliament of world s religions in 1893 , 1993 held in chicago. many international religious leaders have visited chicago, including mother teresa, dalai lama, , pope john paul ii in 1979.