As of 2020, approximately 28,000 people called West Chicago home—and the city is growing more than twice as fast as DuPage County overall! The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning estimates that West Chicago will continue to grow through 2050, to more than 37,000 people.
With that growth, the city is positioned to play a much larger role in the region in the coming years.
West Chicagoans already know and love their community. For those who aren’t so lucky to call West Chicago home, though, who lives here? Even lifelong residents might be fascinated to learn that
What can all these facts tell us? Well, such a young population might mean the city should make large investments in workforce training programs so that young people can find jobs in the community, but it is also very appealing to large businesses who are considering locating in our area.
As we look at many different information sources and talk with many different people to build a full picture of life in West Chicago, we have also identified great opportunities for the city’s future and some challenges facing West Chicagoans. First, let’s look at the West Chicago real estate market.
About 12% of residential properties in West Chicago were built before 1940, and from 2000 to 2007, the city saw the building of 955 single-family and multifamily homes! Overall, West Chicago’s real estate market acts much like the market regionally.
A regional hospital has reported that there are barriers to accessing health care in West Chicago and DuPage County. This means that residents find health-care providers few and far between or difficult to get to or qualify for services.
Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index looks at specific census tracts in terms of unemployment, educational attainment, single-parent households, household that speak English “less than well,” access to a vehicle, and many more details.
Of West Chicago’s 9 census tracts, 2 have high social vulnerability, 4 have medium social vulnerability, and only 2 score low on social vulnerability.
We also have looked at all sorts of information on health and environment. West Chicago is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles through its wonderful plan Healthy West Chicago. Things like open spaces to be active, access to health-care providers and healthy food, and a safe environment can help West Chicagoans make choices for a clean, healthy future. For example:
The “people” of West Chicago also includes the very many volunteer organizations, public services, faith affiliations, and other groups that provide support, recreation, and community to West Chicagoans. We’ve been hearing a lot from these community partners about life in West Chicago, too, and how they envision West Chicago’s future. Just a few are listed here, but if you’re part of an organization that wants to share ideas for West Chicago’s future, please get in touch!