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DemographicsTo view details about demographics in the Elgin, Illinois area, please select one of the links below: General InformationLocated along the Fox River, Elgin is approximately 38 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and covers an area of approximately 30.9 square miles. Elgin is located in two counties, approximately one-fifth of the current equalized assessed valuation (the "EAV") is in Cook County and four fifths is in Kane County. Elgin's location at the north end of the growing "Fox Valley" region and along the Interstate 90 Northwest Tollway's "Golden Corridor" has contributed to substantial residential and commercial/industrial growth in the city in recent years.
City Organization and ServicesThe City of Elgin was incorporated under a special charter from the State of Illinois in 1854, and is a home rule unit under the 1970 Illinois Constitution. The city operates under the Council-Manager form of government with a Mayor and six City Council members elected at large for four-year staggered terms. The City Council appoints a City Manager, Treasurer and Clerk. All City employees, approximately 640 full-time, report to the City Manager. Various non-supervisory City employees are members of collective bargaining units. These units have multi-year contracts of varying length. The City provides water treatment and distribution services to residents and also sells water to the Village of Sleepy Hollow and to the Village of Bartlett, separate units of local government. The rate for adjoining jurisdictions is 125% of the Elgin rate. During 1990 the City became responsible for the ownership and maintenance of the sewer interceptor system within its corporate limits. The Fox River Water Reclamation District continues to be responsible for sewage treatment. The City has a rating of three for Building Code Effectiveness from the Insurance Service Office ("ISO"). The new rating system assesses a community's standards and implementation of codes related to high quality, safe new construction. With a rating scale ranging from one to ten, with one being the best, the City received one of the highest rating in the region. Additionally, the City has attained a rating of three for its Fire Service from ISO. The Far West Area Plan represents a commitment by the City to quality land resource management for 11,000 acres on the community's western edge. The plan adopts growth management policies that direct a balance between the need to develop, the cost of development, and conservation of the natural environment. Development within the planning area is expected to demonstrate the use of innovative architecture, site planning, and land design of such quality as to set a standard of excellence for subsequent development. Download the City of Elgin's Far West Development Strategy
The Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association 2001 awards program generated 23 award nominations and resulted in the recognition of seven planning project in four award categories. The City of Elgin Riverfront/Center City Master Plan received an award in the Plan Category recognizing the quality and ambitious recommendations and the manner in which it blends the traditional downtown with the riverfront. Learn about the redevelopment of Elgin’s Center City area: Download “Experience the Renaissance” Downtown Brochure (slow download) Download “Investing in Downtown” presentation (slow download)
The City's of Elgin Parks and Recreation Department oversees some 1,200 acres of parks and open space. Major facilities include eighteen and nine hole golf courses, a 400 acre area which includes a sports complex, Elgin's largest park, with lighted soccer and softball playing fields and a BMX track for dirt bikes, three large community parks and approximately 25 neighborhood parks. Wing Park, on the City's west side, playing fields, band shell, golf course and tennis courts. It also includes, a $5.5 million Family Aquatic Center which open in July 2000. Lords Park, on the City's east side, also has a $3.9 million Family Aquatic Center which opened in July 2001. Trout Park, on the City's north side, has a nature preserve, playing fields and picnic areas. Residents benefit from a $35.5 million family recreation center, called The Centre, in downtown Elgin that opened in 2003. The 184,00 square foot facility is a monumental addition to the quality of life and community enhancements for the downtown. The Hemmens Cultural Center offers you the rare opportunity to experience legendary entertainers and world-class performing artists in an intimate setting. Located on the Fox River in downtown Elgin, The Hemmens' acoustically superb 1,200-seat theater has been the platform for dynamite performances by mega-stars such as B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Bob Newhart, Ray Price and Gin Blossoms.
Municipal Services
 Commercial ServicesWaste Management provides full service waste disposal for the city of Elgin. The community is home to two radio stations, TV cable network and two daily newspapers. There is an ever-growing list of banks and other financial institutions to serve both consumers and businesses. Visit our business search and use the key word search to visit these businesses and other business on-line. For manufacturing support, Elgin is home to 20 machine shops and 6 tool and die companies.
Additional Economic AmenitiesElgin is the Northwestern Gateway to the Chicago metropolitan area. It
is the principle employment center for Northern Kane
County and six surrounding communities. There is also a Tax Increment Financing District covering much of the same area of the city. In addition, Elgin provides special incentives for technology, called the "e-elgin incentive," plus facade low interest loans and other programs to help downtown businesses grow. Recently, Elgin received "Mainstreet" designation.
Crime StatisticsPlease visit this link to the City of Elgin Police Department for the latest information . Education FacilitiesK-12 public educational opportunities are provided by School District U-46, School District 301, and a very small portion by School District 300. School District U-46:
School District 301:
In addition to public schools, Elgin offers nearly 20 private and parochial schools. Visit our community links section to visit Elgin Area Chamber member schools on-line. Elgin Academy is the oldest of the private secular institutions. Elgin Academy has been offering the highest quality academic experience since it was established in 1839. Chicago Junior Schools (CJS), located on 120 acres in Elgin, was founded in 1913 as a boarding school. In the 1950's, Chicago Junior School became co-ed and began enrolling day students. Today, CJS has an enrollment of 268 students and only 19 boarding students. Higher Education Elgin Community College (ECC) District No. 509 provides continuing education, college transfer courses, and associates degrees to area residents. Enrollment at ECC is approximately 26,000 students. ECC partners with a number of colleges and universities to provide area residents with greater access to upper level undergraduate offerings. These colleges and universities include: Columbia College in Missouri, Roosevelt University in Schaumburg and Chicago, Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and Western Illinois University in Macomb. Judson College, a four-year liberal arts college, was established in 1963 and is also located in Elgin. Enrollment at Judson is approximately 1,100 people. Judson is located on an 80 acre campus along the Fox River. Visit our community links section to visit Elgin Area Chamber member schools on-line.
EmploymentElgin is the employment center for northern Kane County. The city has a highly diversified, well-balanced economy and is not dominated by any single commercial or industrial sector. Please vist The Courier News and/or the Daily Herald classifed sections for job opportunities in the Elgin area. Download Employment Opportunties Map Major City Employers (1)
Elgin residents also have substantial employment opportunities in surrounding
communities, as well as throughout the Chicago Metropolitian area. The
following list shows selected large private employers located in communities
immediately surrounding Elgin.
Health FacilitiesElgin is home to some of the finest health care in the nation. Sherman Hospital and Provena St. Joseph Hospital anchor a variety of clinics, elder care and child care facilities.
HousingAccording to figures provded by the U.S. Census Bureau, median home values in the City have been increasing at a rate which compares favorably within our two counties and exceeds the State. Median Home Values
Median Price of Single Family Home Sales
Be sure to visit our Housing section for an overview, including photos, of the variety of homes available in Elgin
Labor ForceThe Elgin area labor force is the biggest draw for expanding employers. The workforce is a mirror image of the nation, with ample highly skilled labor in all categories. Below are the labor statistics provided by the Illinois Workforce Information Center. Union activity has been minimal over the past dozen or more years. Typical wage rates are provided in a section below. You will find a very strong work ethic in addition to a diverse workforce. Elgin* Labor Market Population
Kane County Labor Force Statistics as of February 2005
Cook County Labor Force Statistics as of February 2005
Annual Average Unemployment Rates (1)
Tax StructureProperty tax rates per $100 assessed valuation. Valuation is 33.33% of real property except in Cook County where commercial property is assessed at 38%, and industrial property is assessed at 36%. Property Tax Rates
Download Tax Structure Details
TransportationElgin is the transportation hub of Northwest Suburban Chicago. It is served by I-90 and in easy travel time to I-88, the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway and I-290. Full interstate exchanges are at Routes 25, 31 and Randall Road. Other federal and state highways include U.S. 20, Rt. 25 and Rt. 31. O'Hare International Airport is just 25 miles and less than 30 minutes away. Corporate and other private aircraft use nearby DuPage County Airport. Elgin is a trucking hub, with several carriers serving the community. METRA Rail and PACE Bus provide daily service to Chicago (about one hour ride) and surrounding suburbs. Freight railroads serving Elgin are the Chicago Northwestern, Elgin Joliet Eastern and the Soo Line. Download Average Travel Time to Work Map
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City |
Highway Miles |
Highway Kilometers |
Days by Rail |
Days by Truck |
| Atlanta | 730 | 1,168 | 2 | 2 |
| Chicago | 38 | 61 | 1 | 1 |
| Cleveland | 343 | 549 | 1 | 1 |
| Dallas | 936 | 1,498 | 3 | 2 |
| Denver | 1,016 | 1,626 | 3 | 3 |
| Detroit | 293 | 469 | 1 | 1 |
| Kansas City | 507 | 811 | 2 | 1 |
| Los Angeles | 2,095 | 3,352 | 4 | 4 |
| Memphis | 544 | 870 | 2 | 2 |
| Minneapolis | 377 | 603 | 1 | 1 |
| New Orleans | 944 | 1,510 | 2 | 2 |
| New York | 840 | 1,344 | 2 | 2 |
| St. Louis | 298 | 477 | 1 | 1 |
| Seattle | 2,063 | 3,301 | 4 | 4 |
| Names: | Chicago Northwestern Elgin Joliet Eastern Soo Line |
| Piggyback Service: | NO | Nearest: 15 mi., 24 KM |
| Container Service: | NO |
Communication and Entertainment Services
The following companies provide various communication and entertainment services to the Elgin Community:
The City of Elgin supplies water from both wells and the Fox River to both its residents and surrounding communities. The Fox River Water Reclamation District provides waste treatment. In 1991, Elgin won the prestigious Innovative Problem Solving Award for its work with financing sanitary sewer collection systems capital improvements.
| Water Supplier: |
Municipal |
| Water Source: | River and well |
| Gallons per day | Liters per day | |
| Storage Capacity | 16,500,000 | 62,459,100 |
| Treatment Capacity |
39,500,000 | 149,523,300 |
| Avg. Daily Demand | 12,800,000 | 48,453,120 |
| Peak Daily Demand | 20,400,000 | 77,222,160 |
| Excess Capacity | 19,100,000 | 72,301,140 |
| Type of Sewage Treatment Plant: |
Secondary |
| Process: | Activated |
| Gallons per day | Liters per day | |
| Treatment Capacity | 34,250,000 | 130,150,000 |
| Present Load |
19,500,000 | 73,800,000 |
| Excess Capacity | 14,750,000 | 56,350,000 |
| Gas Supplier: |
NICOR |
| Electrical Supplier: | ComEd |
| Digital Switching: | YES |
| Fiber Optics: | YES |
Wage data for occupations is collected in the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Information on entry level, median and experienced hourly (and annual) wages are available for Illinois, the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSAs), and the Workforce Investment Areas (WIAs) in Illinois in both Excel and Adobe Acrobat formats. Visit the IDES/OES site.
For a complete and comprehensive wage, salary and benefit survey, Kane County Economic Development.
| Occupation
|
Entry |
Median |
Experienced |
| Accountant/Auditor | $17.73 | $23.68 | $28.86 |
| Assembler and Fabricators, All Other |
$8.46 | $12.02 | $13.83 |
| Computer Operators | $11.57 | $14.93 | $16.89 |
| Computer Programmers | $18.78 | $27.05 | $32.60 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $19.86 | $30.13 | $34.56 |
| Data Entry Keyers |
$8.54 | $11.66 | $12.99 |
| Drilling, Tool Setters, Operators, Tenders, Metal & Plastic | $10.81 | $14.53 | $16.10 |
| Engineer | $21.70 | $32.76 | $38.00 |
| Health Professionals & Technicians | $17.88 | $19.95 | $20.37 |
| Laborer/Janitors | $7.24 | $8.94 | $11.50 |
| Machinist | $11.54 | $16.55 | $19.59 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | $10.57 | $17.68 | $21.74 |
| Office Clerk | $9.20 | $11.77 | $13.46 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $26.13 | $32.36 | $32.45 |
| Shipping, Receiving & Traffic Clerks | $9.36 | $12.68 | $14.85 |
| Tool & Die Maker | $17.46 | $23.27 | $26.54 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers & Brazers | $13.46 | $17.02 | $18.72 |
| Source: lmi.ides.state.il.us/wagedata/countywages.htm | |||
Download demographic information in PDF format.
Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
31 South Grove Avenue
Elgin, IL 60120
phone: (847) 741-5660
fax: (847) 741-5677
e-mail: info@elginchamber.com
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Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
31 South Grove Avenue • P.O. Box 648 • Elgin, Illinois 60120
Tel: (847) 741-5660 • Fax: (847) 741-5677
Copyright © 1999-2008 Elgin Area Chamber. All rights reserved.
