1. Cities of the United States
  2. The Midwest
  3. Illinois

ILLINOIS

Aurora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Peoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Springfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Illinois

The State in Brief

Nickname: Prairie State

Motto: State sovereignty—national union

Flower: Native violet

Bird: Cardinal

Area: 57,914 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 25th)

Elevation: Ranges from 279 feet to 1,235 feet above sea level

Climate: Temperate, with hot summers and cold, snowy winters

Admitted to Union: December 3, 1818

Capital: Springfield

Head Official: Governor Rod R. Blagojevich (D) (until 2007)

Population

1980: 11,427,000

1990: 11,543,000

2000: 12,419,647

2004 estimate: 12,713,634

Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.6%

U.S. rank in 2004: 5th

Percent of residents born in state: 67.1% (2000)

Density: 223 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 506,086

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 9,125,471

Black or African American: 1,876,875

American Indian and Alaska Native: 31,006

Asian: 423,603

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 4,610

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 1,530,262

Other: 722,712

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 876,549

Population 5 to 19 years old: 2,728,957

Percent of population 65 years and over: 12.1%

Median age: 34.7 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 181,753

Total number of deaths (2003): 105,575 (infant deaths, 1,361)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 14,321

Economy

Major industries: Manufacturing; mining; agriculture; oil; trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; services

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (March 2005)

Per capita income: $33,205 (2003; U.S. rank: 15th)

Median household income: $45,607 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 11.8% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: 3.0%

Sales tax rate: 6.25%