What percentage of people rent in DeKalb, IL?

Name: Renters and owners in DeKalb, IL, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

57.9% (±3.3 points) of the occupied homes in DeKalb, IL are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 9,483 renting households against 6,905 that own their home.

In DeKalb, the share of households that rent went from 60.0% in 2015–2019 to 57.9% in 2020–2024 (−2.1 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 57.9% (±3.3 points)
Renting households: 9,483 (±670)
Median renter income: $27,979 (±$7,023)

Who rents and who owns in DeKalb

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	DeKalb	DeKalb County	Illinois	United States
Renter-occupied share	57.9% (±3.3 points)	38.6% (±1.5 points)	32.9% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	9,483 (±670)	15,270 (±676)	1,657,539 (±10,322)	45,017,354
Owning households	6,905 (±538)	24,280 (±585)	3,378,910 (±14,728)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.0 (±0.1)	2.1 (±0.1)	2.2 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.5 (±0.1)	2.7 (±0.1)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$27,979 (±$7,023)	$35,877 (±$3,042)	$50,420 (±$471)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$82,314 (±$7,605)	$101,272 (±$3,827)	$103,505 (±$377)	$100,009

In DeKalb, the renter share is higher than in DeKalb County (38.6%).

It is also higher than in Illinois (32.9%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In DeKalb County, DeKalb ranks 1 of 32 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 19 of 2,751.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in DeKalb has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	60.0% (±2.2 points)	57.9% (±3.3 points)	−2.1 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$903 (±$33)	$1,029 (±$41)	+14.0%	Down after inflation
Median household income	$45,020 (±$3,986)	$46,481 (±$3,596)	+3.2%	Down after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near DeKalb

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with DeKalb
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
DeKalb	—	57.9% (±3.3 points)	—
DeKalb Township	1.3 mi	57.8% (±3.1 points)	Not measurably different
Cortland	3.1 mi	22.0% (±9.0 points)	Lower
Cortland Township	4.4 mi	16.1% (±3.8 points)	Lower
Afton Township	5.0 mi	8.4% (±8.8 points)	Lower
Sycamore	5.9 mi	28.4% (±4.7 points)	Lower
Malta	6.4 mi	25.5% (±7.3 points)	Lower
Mayfield Township	6.6 mi	34.7% (±15.0 points)	Lower
Malta Township	7.0 mi	24.3% (±6.6 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Cortland, IL (22.0%), Cortland Township, IL (16.1%), Afton Township, IL (8.4%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across DeKalb County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	DeKalb	57.9% (±3.3 points)
2	DeKalb Township	57.8% (±3.1 points)
3	Victor Township	41.0% (±21.3 points)
4	Mayfield Township	34.7% (±15.0 points)
5	Paw Paw Township	34.0% (±33.1 points)
6	Genoa	31.2% (±9.8 points)
7	Genoa Township	30.2% (±9.8 points)

Showing 7 of 32 places in DeKalb County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about DeKalb

How many renters are there in DeKalb?

DeKalb has an estimated 9,483 (±670) renting households, 57.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in DeKalb?

In DeKalb, the share of households that rent went from 60.0% in 2015–2019 to 57.9% in 2020–2024 (−2.1 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in DeKalb?

A renting household in DeKalb has 2.0 people on average, against 2.5 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in DeKalb?

The median renting household in DeKalb, IL has an income of $27,979 (±$7,023) a year, against $82,314 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for DeKalb city, Illinois (place:19161, in state:17).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.