Real Estate Directory - Illinois

Population: 12,419,923 (2000)
Capital city/population: Springfield (113,586) (2003)
Largest cities/population:

  • Chicago - 2,869,121
  • Aurora - 162,184
  • Rockford - 151,725
  • Naperville - 137,894

(All 2003 figures)

Illinois is the 25th largest state, with an area of 57,918 square miles. It has a temperate climate with cold, snowy winters and hot summers. Average annual temperatures range from 50ºF in the northern portion of the state, to about 59ºF in the southern portion. The state gets anywhere from 32” – 48” of annual precipitation. On December 2, 1942, Enrico Fermi and a group of scientists chose the football stadium at the University of Chicago to demonstrate experiments of controlled heat.

HOUSING (2005 figures)

Chicago – Home prices are stable and show wide ranges depending upon community location. On the north side of the city, condominium prices average $338,155; a single-family home in the Chatham community averages $179,581, while Beverly homes are selling for $224,750. Homes remain on the market anywhere from 20 – 50 days.

Aurora – The city has a large inventory of single-family homes, ranging in price from $85,000 - $1,190,000, depending upon age and location. The average price of a single-family home is $247,768. Condominiums and townhouses are selling anywhere from $70,000 - $399,000.

Rockford – Median home prices in the city are $93,645, a gain of 7.32% over the past two to five years. Within 30 miles of the community are 47 golf courses, and at least 900 restaurants.

Naperville – Overall prices for Naperville have risen for the last quarter of 2005. To date, the average price for a single-family home is $462,065, an increase of almost 9% over 2004 prices. This community has a strong housing market, encouraging a strong home buyers market.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

The total gross state product for 2004 was $528 billion, with a per capita income of $32,965. Agricultural products include corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, and wheat. Industrial outputs include machinery, food processing, electrical equipment, chemical products, petroleum, and coal.

SCHOOLS

With the passage of the Community Unit School District Law in 1947, school districts were reduced from 11,000 to less than 1,000 by 1990. The 1994 student-teacher ratio was 17:3, with an average 1995 teachers’ salary of $41,008.

The state’s largest institution of higher learning is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a campus in Chicago. Other institutions include Southern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Western Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, Sangamon State University, and Northeastern University – Chicago. The state has two of the best-known schools in the country, with Northwestern University – Evanston, and the University of Chicago – Hyde Park. Chicago is also the site of Loyola, DePaul, and Roosevelt Universities, as well as the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.

HISTORY

With the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France ceded Illinois to the British, who did not take possession until 1766. After the American Revolution, the area became the Northwest Territory, and then joined the Indiana Territory in 1800, before becoming a separate territory in 1809. The area had a strong fur trade when it achieved statehood in 1818. Industrial development began with the start of an agricultural implement factory in 1847 in Chicago. After the Civil War, industry greatly expanded with the development of stockyards and the meatpacking industry in Chicago. A fire in 1871 destroyed much of the city.

In 1937, new oil fields were discovered in southern Illinois, aiding the state’s industrial development. Since then, industry has continued to develop, especially in the northern portion of the state.

RELIGION (2004)

The religious affiliations of the people of Illinois are:

  • Christian – 80%
    • Protestant – 49%
      • Baptist – 12%
      • Lutheran – 7%
      • Methodist – 7%
      • Presbyterian – 3%
      • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 20%
    • Roman Catholic – 30%
    • Other Christian – 1%
  • Other Religions – 4%
  • Non-Religious – 16%

DEMOGRAPHICS (2004)

  • White - 67.8%
  • Black - 15.1%
  • Hispanic - 12.3%
  • Asian - 3.4%
  • Native American - 0.2%
  • Mixed Race - 1.9%

The top five ancestry groups in Illinois are:

  • German - 19.6%
  • African American - 15.1%
  • Irish - 12.2%
  • Mexican - 9.2%
  • Polish- 7.5%
  • Filipino - 1.2%