Will County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Will County, Illinois had an estimated 708,583 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 697,353, across 837 square miles. County output reached $50.33 bn in 2024, 17,085 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 803 7(a) approvals worth $409.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Will County
How many people live in Will County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024701,462
- Households244,273
- Average household size2.87
- Median household income$109,984
- Median age39.1
- Median gross rent$1,462 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$319,600
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over472,441
- Population under 18165,564
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over102,267
- Share 65 and over14.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64433,631
- Civilian labor force380,453
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.0 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties4th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included97th of 3,222
Will County is the 4th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.6 percent against 14.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Will County
Is Will County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024708,583
- Census 2020 base population697,353
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.61 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20245,200
- Births, 20246,895
- Deaths, 20245,110
- Natural change, 20241,785
- Net domestic migration, 2024-431
- Net international migration, 20243,854
- Total net migration, 20243,423
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-3,952
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1296th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.61 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Will County
Where are people moving to Will County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving17,858
- People arriving, from those returns33,688
- Tax returns filed by households leaving18,844
- Net household movement-986
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.43 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-192.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$80,186
- Average income of a leaving household$86,211
- Largest single originCook County (8,070 households)
- Largest single destinationCook County (4,620 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 8,070 | 15,648 | $645.3 m |
| DuPage County | 3,109 | 6,068 | $281.3 m |
| Kendall County | 576 | 1,118 | $40.9 m |
| Grundy County | 498 | 876 | $35.6 m |
| Kane County | 434 | 742 | $27.0 m |
| Lake County | 268 | 475 | $13.1 m |
| Kankakee County | 257 | 448 | $15.0 m |
| Maricopa County | 148 | 254 | $14.5 m |
Households arriving report $6,025 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cook County, 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.
Will County
What is the Will County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$50.33 bn
- County GDP, 2023$48.44 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years41.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes4th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes116th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$71,754
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 41.0 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.
Will County
Employment by industry in Will County
- Covered employment, annual average263,673
- Establishments reporting15,924
- Average annual pay$60,570
- Average weekly wage$1,165
- Transportation and warehousing, employment37,966
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$55,684
- Retail trade, employment30,082
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,324
- Health care and social assistance, employment28,226
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$62,821
- Manufacturing, employment23,887
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$79,999
- Accommodation and food services, employment22,105
- Wholesale trade, employment17,836
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 37,966 | 1,612 | $55,684 |
| Retail trade | 30,082 | 1,502 | $36,324 |
| Health care and social assistance | 28,226 | 1,595 | $62,821 |
| Manufacturing | 23,887 | 726 | $79,999 |
| Accommodation and food services | 22,105 | 1,251 | $24,166 |
| Wholesale trade | 17,836 | 836 | $94,517 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 16,906 | 967 | $48,844 |
| Construction | 15,074 | 1,878 | $92,453 |
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 37,966 jobs, 14.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Will County
How many businesses are in Will County?
- Establishments, all industries17,085
- Employment at those establishments267,545
- Annual payroll$14.94 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Will County
Building permits in Will County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242,002
- Declared construction value permitted$562.5 m
- Single family units authorized1,464
- Multifamily units authorized538
- Multifamily share of units26.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$280,968
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.2
Single-family homes are 73.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Will County
SBA loans in Will County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded803
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$409.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$509,796
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,403,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7,728
- Jobs per approval9.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active102
- Distinct industries receiving approvals208
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms106
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter667
- Franchise loans137
- Franchise share of approvals17.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (95)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (260)
- 504 approvals recorded410
- 504 gross approval dollars$404.8 m
- Average 504 approval$987,293
- Median 504 approval$554,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval11.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.2
- Most active CDCSmall Business Growth Corporation (240)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$814.2 m
The average approval of $509,796 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 13.2 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.
Will County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Will County
Do SBA loans in Will County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded139
- Paid in full126
- Charged off13
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans9.4 percent
- Status: Paid in full126
- Status: Exempt from disclosure495
- Status: Cancelled119
- Status: Charged off13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed50
Of the 139 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.4 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.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Will County
SBA lending by place in Will County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending34
- Plainfield, approvals121
- Naperville, approvals106
- Bolingbrook, approvals83
- Joliet, approvals77
- Mokena, approvals59
- Frankfort, approvals59
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | 121 | $49,668,300 |
| Naperville | 106 | $31,793,800 |
| Bolingbrook | 83 | $37,168,600 |
| Joliet | 77 | $66,280,100 |
| Mokena | 59 | $27,407,600 |
| Frankfort | 59 | $24,566,400 |
| Romeoville | 57 | $36,172,500 |
| Lockport | 48 | $27,055,600 |
| 26 other borrower cities | 193 | $109,253,400 |
Plainfield accounts for 121 approvals against 106 in Naperville. 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.
Will County
How large is Will County?
- Land area837 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties13th of 102
- Width, east to west38.1 mi
- Height, north to south36.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land838
- Establishments per square mile20.41
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.
Will County
Flood risk in Will County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Will County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170695
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book38
- Of those, participating in the NFIP38
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class3
- Radon levels in Will County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Will County (community 170695), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Will County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Will 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 Will County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024701,462
- Households244,273
- Average household size2.87
- Median household income$109,984
- Median age39.1
Common questions
Will County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Will County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 708,583 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 701,462, in 244,273 households, ranking 4th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Will County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.61 percent since the 2020 census base of 697,353, to 708,583 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 6,895 births against 5,110 deaths, with net migration of 3,423. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Will County?
$109,984. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $319,600, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,462 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Will County?
17,085 establishments, employing 267,545 people with an annual payroll of $14.94 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Will County?
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 37,966 jobs, 14.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 263,673 jobs at an average annual pay of $60,570, or $1,165 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Will County?
803 7(a) approvals totaling $409.4 m since FY2020, across 102 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 410 504 approvals worth $404.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Will County get paid back?
Of the 139 loans that have reached a final outcome, 126 were paid in full and 13 charged off, a charge-off rate of 9.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Will County?
2,002 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $562.5 m. Multifamily was 26.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Will 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 Will County come from?
The largest single origin is Cook County, with 8,070 households. Arriving households report an average income of $80,186 against $86,211 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Will 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 Will County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Will County
Cities and places in Will.
57 Census places lie wholly or partly in Will County. 56 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | city | 179,898 | 10 | 6.4 percent here, 60.1 percent Kane County, 31.4 percent DuPage County, 2.1 percent Kendall County |
| Naperville | city | 150,692 | 106 | 34.6 percent here, 65.4 percent DuPage County |
| Joliet | city | 150,445 | 77 | 85.1 percent here, 14.9 percent Kendall County |
| Bolingbrook | village | 74,096 | 83 | Wholly in this county |
| Orland Park | village | 57,916 | 4 | 2.6 percent here, 97.4 percent Cook County |
| Tinley Park | village | 54,842 | 10 | 20.5 percent here, 79.5 percent Cook County |
| Plainfield | village | 46,708 | 121 | 80.7 percent here, 19.3 percent Kendall County |
| Romeoville | village | 41,152 | 57 | Wholly in this county |
| Woodridge | village | 33,941 | None recorded | 10.2 percent here, 89.8 percent DuPage County |
| New Lenox | village | 28,006 | 38 | Wholly in this county |
| Lockport | city | 26,409 | 48 | Wholly in this county |
| Homer Glen | village | 24,529 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Park Forest | village | 21,156 | 1 | 22.1 percent here, 77.9 percent Cook County |
| Frankfort | village | 20,651 | 59 | Wholly in this county |
| Crest Hill | city | 20,628 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Mokena | village | 20,021 | 59 | Wholly in this county |
| Shorewood | village | 18,343 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Lemont | village | 17,820 | None recorded | 3.4 percent here, 88.3 percent Cook County, 8.3 percent DuPage County |
| Channahon | village | 13,927 | 5 | 50.8 percent here, 49.2 percent Grundy County |
| Minooka | village | 12,891 | None recorded | 10.5 percent here, 66.8 percent Grundy County, 22.8 percent Kendall County |
| Manhattan | village | 11,026 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Frankfort Square | CDP | 9,560 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Steger | village | 9,418 | 1 | 31.6 percent here, 68.4 percent Cook County |
| Crete | village | 8,386 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| University Park | village | 7,306 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Braidwood | city | 6,062 | 3 | 89.4 percent here, 10.6 percent Grundy County |
| Wilmington | city | 5,494 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Monee | village | 5,108 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Beecher | village | 4,728 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Peotone | village | 4,587 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Ingalls Park | CDP | 3,015 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Diamond | village | 2,984 | None recorded | 36.7 percent here, 63.3 percent Grundy County |
| Ridgewood | CDP | 2,795 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fairmont | CDP | 2,617 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rockdale | village | 2,553 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Preston Heights | CDP | 2,449 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elwood | village | 2,001 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Willowbrook | CDP | 1,913 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crystal Lawns | CDP | 1,766 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Arbury Hills | CDP | 1,519 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sunnyland | CDP | 1,231 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lockport Heights | CDP | 890 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Braceville | village | 860 | None recorded | 55.0 percent here, 45.0 percent Grundy County |
| Bonnie Brae | CDP | 846 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Godley | village | 602 | None recorded | 53.1 percent here, 46.9 percent Grundy County |
| Plum Valley | CDP | 520 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Custer Park | CDP | 459 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lakewood Shores | CDP | 459 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rest Haven | CDP | 455 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Symerton | village | 132 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Eagle Lake | CDP | 131 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Marley | CDP | 96 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ritchie | CDP | 79 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wilton Center | CDP | 58 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Andres | CDP | 41 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lorenzo | CDP | 28 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Goodenow | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 7 of the county's 803 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Will County, the largest being Bollingbrook (2), Lisle (1), Oak Brook (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby