Article Table Of Contents
Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in Illinois is 692,370 - at 5.4% of the total population of Illinois.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across Illinois? Which cities and towns in Illinois have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in Illinois with the largest Asian population in 2021:
Which city in Illinois had the largest Asian population? Oak Brook took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in Illinois for 2021. 31.79% of Oak Brook identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Illinois ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in Illinois or the most diverse places in Illinois.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In Illinois For 2021
/10
Population: 8,075
% Asian: 31.79%
# Of Asian Residents: 2,567
Percent Change Since 2010: 36.25%
More on Oak Brook: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 23,089
% Asian: 30.53%
# Of Asian Residents: 7,048
Percent Change Since 2010: 15.65%
More on Morton Grove: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 12,434
% Asian: 27.98%
# Of Asian Residents: 3,479
Percent Change Since 2010: 15.12%
More on Lincolnwood: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 63,821
% Asian: 27.4%
# Of Asian Residents: 17,486
Percent Change Since 2010: 11.73%
More on Skokie: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 74,194
% Asian: 25.29%
# Of Asian Residents: 18,767
Percent Change Since 2010: 47.07%
More on Schaumburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 50,841
% Asian: 24.18%
# Of Asian Residents: 12,292
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.87%
More on Hoffman Estates: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 26,343
% Asian: 23.52%
# Of Asian Residents: 6,197
Percent Change Since 2010: 51.26%
More on Vernon Hills: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 34,079
% Asian: 21.53%
# Of Asian Residents: 7,337
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.05%
More on Glendale Heights: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 41,062
% Asian: 21.05%
# Of Asian Residents: 8,643
Percent Change Since 2010: 37.67%
More on Buffalo Grove: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 29,451
% Asian: 19.82%
# Of Asian Residents: 5,837
Percent Change Since 2010: 11.52%
More on Niles: Real Estate | Data | Photos
How We Determined The Cities In Illinois With The Largest Asian Population For 2021
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Illinois.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2015-2019 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 330 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 31.8% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Oak Brook took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Marseilles was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Illinois ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
There You Have It - Asian Populations Across Illinois
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across Illinois according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in Illinois:
- Marseilles
- Paris
- Hillsboro
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Best Places To Retire In Illinois
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
Detailed List Of The Most Asian Cities In Illinois
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oak Brook | 31.79% |
| 2 | Morton Grove | 30.53% |
| 3 | Lincolnwood | 27.98% |
| 4 | Skokie | 27.4% |
| 5 | Schaumburg | 25.29% |
| 6 | Hoffman Estates | 24.18% |
| 7 | Vernon Hills | 23.52% |
| 8 | Glendale Heights | 21.53% |
| 9 | Buffalo Grove | 21.05% |
| 10 | Niles | 19.82% |
| 11 | Savoy | 19.18% |
| 12 | Naperville | 19.11% |
| 13 | Carol Stream | 18.98% |
| 14 | Urbana | 18.93% |
| 15 | Wheeling | 18.4% |
| 16 | Long Grove | 18.03% |
| 17 | Hanover Park | 17.73% |
| 18 | Burr Ridge | 17.63% |
| 19 | Northbrook | 17.09% |
| 20 | Bartlett | 15.94% |
| 21 | Willowbrook | 15.82% |
| 22 | Gilberts | 15.15% |
| 23 | Lisle | 14.94% |
| 24 | Lincolnshire | 14.57% |
| 25 | Westmont | 14.37% |
| 26 | Glenview | 14.26% |
| 27 | Inverness | 13.77% |
| 28 | Streamwood | 13.76% |
| 29 | Bloomingdale | 13.57% |
| 30 | Champaign | 13.22% |
| 31 | Des Plaines | 13.18% |
| 32 | Wilmette | 12.75% |
| 33 | Round Lake | 12.75% |
| 34 | Lombard | 12.51% |
| 35 | Mundelein | 12.24% |
| 36 | Mount Prospect | 12.13% |
| 37 | Woodridge | 12.0% |
| 38 | Darien | 11.97% |
| 39 | Palatine | 11.55% |
| 40 | Gurnee | 11.46% |
| 41 | Bolingbrook | 11.39% |
| 42 | Hawthorn Woods | 11.13% |
| 43 | Hinsdale | 10.87% |
| 44 | Harwood Heights | 10.49% |
| 45 | Arlington Heights | 10.14% |
| 46 | Elk Grove Village | 9.6% |
| 47 | Addison | 9.59% |
| 48 | Evanston | 9.36% |
| 49 | West Dundee | 9.31% |
| 50 | Lake Forest | 8.82% |
| 51 | Wood Dale | 8.81% |
| 52 | Aurora | 8.79% |
| 53 | Rolling Meadows | 8.69% |
| 54 | Prospect Heights | 8.68% |
| 55 | Clarendon Hills | 8.64% |
| 56 | Plainfield | 8.53% |
| 57 | Lake Zurich | 8.44% |
| 58 | Roselle | 8.09% |
| 59 | West Chicago | 8.05% |
| 60 | Bloomington | 7.95% |
| 61 | Algonquin | 7.74% |
| 62 | Carpentersville | 7.59% |
| 63 | Itasca | 7.47% |
| 64 | Northfield | 7.01% |
| 65 | Grayslake | 6.99% |
| 66 | Glen Ellyn | 6.98% |
| 67 | Libertyville | 6.84% |
| 68 | Chicago | 6.54% |
| 69 | Romeoville | 6.47% |
| 70 | Lake In The Hills | 6.46% |
| 71 | Lake Bluff | 6.45% |
| 72 | Wheaton | 6.33% |
| 73 | South Elgin | 6.31% |
| 74 | North Riverside | 6.27% |
| 75 | Forest Park | 6.05% |
| 76 | Peoria | 5.97% |
| 77 | Elmhurst | 5.96% |
| 78 | Huntley | 5.91% |
| 79 | Orland Hills | 5.89% |
| 80 | Bridgeview | 5.86% |
| 81 | Park Ridge | 5.85% |
| 82 | Carbondale | 5.72% |
| 83 | Elgin | 5.71% |
| 84 | Downers Grove | 5.61% |
| 85 | Warrenville | 5.53% |
| 86 | Schiller Park | 5.35% |
| 87 | Roscoe | 5.3% |
| 88 | Oak Forest | 5.29% |
| 89 | North Chicago | 5.28% |
| 90 | Sugar Grove | 5.26% |
| 91 | Deerfield | 5.25% |
| 92 | Norridge | 5.22% |
| 93 | Barrington | 5.19% |
| 94 | Glencoe | 5.15% |
| 95 | Waukegan | 5.03% |
| 96 | Tinley Park | 4.87% |
| 97 | Lake Villa | 4.85% |
| 98 | Oswego | 4.79% |
| 99 | Orland Park | 4.77% |
| 100 | Park City | 4.73% |
Thank you very much for this article. I’m from Illinois and my fiance is from Nepal. So we want an area that fits us and is safe.