A lot has changed around the Northwest Suburbs since 2000, but population growth has been anything but equal.
We looked at 22 communities we regularly cover and compared their official 2000 Census population with the Census Bureau’s latest 2025 population estimates. Here’s how each community has changed, ranked by percentage growth. The Census Bureau released its Vintage 2025 city and town estimates in May 2026.
25 years of population change in our coverage area
Rank | City | 2000 | 2025 est. | Change | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vernon Hills | 20,120 | 26,825 | +6,705 | +33.3% |
2 | Elgin | 94,487 | 115,476 | +20,989 | +22.2% |
3 | Bartlett | 36,706 | 40,855 | +4,149 | +11.3% |
4 | Wheeling | 34,496 | 38,391 | +3,895 | +11.3% |
5 | Crystal Lake | 38,000 | 42,288 | +4,288 | +11.3% |
6 | Lake Zurich | 18,104 | 19,868 | +1,764 | +9.7% |
7 | Streamwood | 36,407 | 38,277 | +1,870 | +5.1% |
8 | Skokie | 63,348 | 66,544 | +3,196 | +5.0% |
9 | Barrington | 10,168 | 10,586 | +418 | +4.1% |
10 | Hoffman Estates | 49,495 | 50,858 | +1,363 | +2.8% |
11 | Schaumburg | 75,386 | 77,249 | +1,863 | +2.5% |
12 | Park Ridge | 37,775 | 38,463 | +688 | +1.8% |
13 | Niles | 30,068 | 30,443 | +375 | +1.2% |
14 | Palatine | 65,479 | 65,842 | +363 | +0.6% |
15 | Arlington Heights | 76,031 | 76,216 | +185 | +0.2% |
16 | Des Plaines | 58,720 | 58,772 | +52 | +0.1% |
17 | Buffalo Grove | 42,909 | 42,812 | -97 | -0.2% |
18 | Mount Prospect | 56,265 | 55,395 | -870 | -1.5% |
19 | Rolling Meadows | 24,604 | 23,690 | -914 | -3.7% |
20 | Hanover Park | 38,278 | 36,568 | -1,710 | -4.5% |
21 | Elk Grove Village | 34,727 | 31,885 | -2,842 | -8.2% |
22 | Prospect Heights | 17,081 | 15,552 | -1,529 | -9.0% |
So, who grew the most?
Vernon Hills takes the top spot by percentage. Its population grew from 20,120 in 2000 to an estimated 26,825 in 2025, an increase of about 33%. That’s more than 6,700 additional residents.
Elgin, though, added by far the most people. It grew from 94,487 to 115,476, adding nearly 21,000 residents over the 25-year period. That’s roughly the equivalent of adding an entire town the size of Lake Zurich.
Then things get surprisingly close. Bartlett, Wheeling and Crystal Lake all grew by about 11.3%, despite starting at different population sizes:
Bartlett: 36,706 → 40,855
Wheeling: 34,496 → 38,391
Crystal Lake: 38,000 → 42,288
Lake Zurich wasn’t far behind, growing nearly 10%, from 18,104 residents to an estimated 19,868.
Some suburbs barely changed at all
One of the more surprising parts of the data is just how stable some of our biggest communities have been.
Arlington Heights had 76,031 residents in 2000 and is estimated at 76,216 today, a difference of only 185 people.
Des Plaines is even closer: 58,720 in 2000 versus 58,772 in 2025, a net difference of just 52 residents over roughly a quarter-century.
Palatine also grew by less than 1%, while Buffalo Grove is estimated to have almost exactly the same population it had in 2000.
A few communities actually got smaller
Not every suburb grew.
Among the communities we looked at, Prospect Heights saw the largest percentage decline, dropping about 9%, while Elk Grove Village declined roughly 8.2%.
Hanover Park, Rolling Meadows and Mount Prospect also have slightly fewer residents today than they did in 2000.
And collectively? We crossed 1 million.
Here’s probably my favorite stat from the whole comparison:
The 22 communities we looked at had a combined population of about 958,654 in 2000.
Today, their combined estimated population is 1,002,855.
That means the communities Northwest Neighbor regularly covers have collectively added about 44,200 residents over the last 25 years and now total more than 1 million people.
Pretty impressive when you see our little corner of Chicagoland added up together.
Which suburb surprised you the most? 👀
*Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census and Vintage 2025 Population Estimates.
