Kankakee County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Kankakee County, Illinois has a population of 106,635 across 677 square miles, down 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $8.53 bn in 2024, 2,268 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 57 7(a) approvals worth $33.4 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Kankakee County
How many people live in Kankakee County
- Population106,635
- Households40,996
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$71,281
- Median age39.0
- Median gross rent$1,097 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$192,600
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over71,873
- Population under 1824,272
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over19,030
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6463,333
- Civilian labor force52,754
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.1 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties18th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents586th
Kankakee County is the 18th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kankakee County
Is Kankakee County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.15 percent
- Census 2020 base population107,647
- Births, 20241,135
- Deaths, 20241,184
- Natural change, 2024-49
- Net domestic migration, 2024-346
- Net international migration, 2024419
- Total net migration, 202473
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,458
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2241st
The county has lost 1.15 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Kankakee County
Where people moving to Kankakee County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,967
- People arriving, from those returns3,483
- Adjusted gross income arriving$111.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,596
- Largest single originKankakee County Non-migrants (40,542 households)
- Largest single destination (40,542 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee County Non-migrants | 40,542 | 81,310 | $2.96 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 505 | 908 | $28.2 m |
| Cook County | 451 | 787 | $25.5 m |
| Will County | 413 | 752 | $24.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 192 | 366 | $10.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 188 | 338 | $10.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 173 | 302 | $9.5 m |
| Iroquois County | 134 | 246 | $6.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Kankakee County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Kankakee County
What the Kankakee County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$8.53 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.12 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years30.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents503rd
- GDP per resident$79,982
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 30.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Kankakee County
Who employs people in Kankakee County
- Covered employment, annual average42,231
- Establishments reporting2,200
- Average annual pay$55,890
- Average weekly wage$1,075
- Sector 62, employment7,757
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,251
- Sector 31-33, employment6,674
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$88,514
- Sector 44-45, employment5,015
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,399
- Sector 72, employment3,642
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,924
- Sector 56, employment2,064
- Sector 42, employment1,916
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 7,757 | 235 | $57,251 |
| Sector 31-33 | 6,674 | 126 | $88,514 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,015 | 314 | $34,399 |
| Sector 72 | 3,642 | 223 | $20,924 |
| Sector 56 | 2,064 | 124 | $38,132 |
| Sector 42 | 1,916 | 100 | $71,676 |
| Sector 23 | 1,611 | 214 | $75,476 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,309 | 122 | $61,884 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,757 jobs, 18.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kankakee County
What businesses operate in Kankakee County
- Establishments, all industries2,268
- Employment at those establishments35,392
- Annual payroll$1.94 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kankakee County
What is being built in Kankakee County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024139
- Declared construction value permitted$34.0 m
- Single family units authorised95
- Multifamily units authorised44
- Multifamily share of units31.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$244,631
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.4
Multifamily is 31.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kankakee County
How much SBA lending happens in Kankakee County
- 7(a) approvals recorded57
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$33.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$586,735
- Median 7(a) approval$273,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,550,000
- Largest single approval$1,950,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)629
- Jobs per approval11.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active24
- Distinct industries receiving approvals30
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer24.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter40
- Franchise loans9
- Franchise share of approvals15.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Automotive Repair (6)
- Most active lenderByline Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded23
- 504 gross approval dollars$19.2 m
- Average 504 approval$833,130
- Median 504 approval$641,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval11.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.9
- Most active CDCSmall Business Growth Corporation (13)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals71.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$52.6 m
The average approval of $586,735 sits well above the median of $273,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 24.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kankakee County
Do SBA loans in Kankakee County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure37
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kankakee County
Which parts of Kankakee County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Kankakee, approvals18
- BOURBONNAIS, approvals17
- BRADLEY, approvals11
- MOMENCE, approvals5
- MANTENO, approvals5
- BEECHER, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kankakee | 18 | $11,627,000 |
| BOURBONNAIS | 17 | $9,494,600 |
| BRADLEY | 11 | $6,134,700 |
| MOMENCE | 5 | $3,087,200 |
| MANTENO | 5 | $2,800,000 |
| BEECHER | 1 | $300,400 |
Kankakee accounts for 18 approvals against 17 in BOURBONNAIS. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kankakee County
How big is Kankakee County
- Land area677 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties27th of 102
- Width, east to west37.8 mi
- Height, north to south21 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land158
- Establishments per square mile3.35
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kankakee County
What hazards affect Kankakee County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book12
- Of those, participating in the NFIP10
- NFIP participation rate83.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Kankakee County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Kankakee County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population106,635
- Households40,996
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$71,281
- Median age39.0
Common questions
Kankakee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kankakee County, Illinois?
106,635, in 40,996 households, ranking 18th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kankakee County growing?
The population has fallen 1.15 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,135 births against 1,184 deaths, with net migration of 73. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kankakee County?
$71,281. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $192,600, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,097 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Kankakee County?
2,268 establishments, employing 35,392 people with an annual payroll of $1.94 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Kankakee County?
Average annual pay is $55,890, or $1,075 a week, across 42,231 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kankakee County?
57 7(a) approvals totalling $33.4 m since FY2020, across 24 lenders, with a median approval of $273,000, plus 23 504 approvals worth $19.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Kankakee County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Kankakee County?
139 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $34.0 m. Multifamily was 31.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kankakee County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Kankakee County come from?
The largest single origin is Kankakee County Non-migrants, with 40,542 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,596 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Kankakee County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Kankakee County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.