Waukegan ( wə-KEE-ghən) is an industrial suburb located 36 miles (58 km) north of Chicago. It is the most populous city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 89,321, making it the seventh-most populous city within the Chicago metropolitan area and the 10th-most populous city in Illinois.
Unlike nearby wealthy North Shore suburbs, Waukegan has long been classified by the Illinois state government as overall "socioeconomically distressed" despite having some middle class inhabitants.
| Ethnicity | Waukegan | USA |
|---|---|---|
| White | 19.2% | 60.1% |
| African American | 19.6% | 12.2% |
| American Indian | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Asian | 6% | 5.6% |
| Hawaiian | 0% | 0.2% |
| Multiracial | 2.2% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic | 51.9% | 18.2% |
| Other | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| HOUSEHOLD INCOME | Waukegan | USA |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 4% | 4.1% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 10.4% | 8.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 11.9% | 8.6% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 14.6% | 12.0% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 20.1% | 17.2% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 11.6% | 12.8% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 12.1% | 15.6% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 4.6% | 7.1% |
| Education | Waukegan | USA |
|---|---|---|
| < 9th Grade | 12% | 5.0% |
| 9-12th Grade | 10% | 7.0% |
| High School or GED | 31% | 27.0% |
| Other College | 20% | 20.0% |
| Associate's Degree | 7% | 9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 13% | 20.0% |
| Master's Degree | 5% | 9.0% |
| Professional Degree | 1% | 2.0% |
| Doctorate Degree | 1% | 1.0% |