Data / Rankings / Population speaking a language other than English at home / Counties in Illinois

Counties in Illinois by population speaking a language other than English at home

Cook County had the highest population speaking a language other than English at home of 102 counties in 2021, at 35.1%. Alexander County had the lowest, at 0.6%. The median was 3.6% and the figure for Illinois was 23.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest35.1Cook County
Lowest0.6Alexander County
Median3.6102 counties
Illinois23.2History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 2.3 %Alexander County: 0.6 %Bond County: 3 %Boone County: 19 %Brown County: 5.7 %Bureau County: 7.7 %Calhoun County: 0.8 %Carroll County: 4.5 %Cass County: 18.4 %Champaign County: 17.4 %Christian County: 2.8 %Clark County: 1.6 %Clay County: 1.2 %Clinton County: 4.1 %Coles County: 3.7 %Cook County: 35.1 %Crawford County: 3.6 %Cumberland County: 2 %DeKalb County: 12.5 %De Witt County: 2.8 %Douglas County: 19.3 %DuPage County: 28.4 %Edgar County: 2.1 %Edwards County: 2.3 %Effingham County: 3.2 %Fayette County: 5.4 %Ford County: 4.2 %Franklin County: 1.5 %Fulton County: 3 %Gallatin County: 1.3 %Greene County: 1.2 %Grundy County: 6.8 %Hamilton County: 1.3 %Hancock County: 2.1 %Hardin County: 0.7 %Henderson County: 1.6 %Henry County: 3.6 %Iroquois County: 6.1 %Jackson County: 9.4 %Jasper County: 2.1 %Jefferson County: 3.3 %Jersey County: 1.8 %Jo Daviess County: 3.3 %Johnson County: 3 %Kane County: 31.3 %Kankakee County: 9.7 %Kendall County: 18 %Knox County: 6 %Lake County: 29.3 %LaSalle County: 7.6 %Lawrence County: 4.1 %Lee County: 4.4 %Livingston County: 3.6 %Logan County: 3.7 %McDonough County: 4.3 %McHenry County: 13.8 %McLean County: 8.4 %Macon County: 3.9 %Macoupin County: 1.5 %Madison County: 4 %Marion County: 1.6 %Marshall County: 2.4 %Mason County: 1.9 %Massac County: 2.1 %Menard County: 1.3 %Mercer County: 2.5 %Monroe County: 2.2 %Montgomery County: 2.8 %Morgan County: 2.9 %Moultrie County: 11.8 %Ogle County: 7.2 %Peoria County: 8.6 %Perry County: 4.8 %Piatt County: 2 %Pike County: 2.9 %Pope County: 4.8 %Pulaski County: 1.1 %Putnam County: 3.4 %Randolph County: 4.7 %Richland County: 3.6 %Rock Island County: 13.6 %St. Clair County: 4.8 %Saline County: 3.6 %Sangamon County: 4.5 %Schuyler County: 2 %Scott County: 1.6 %Shelby County: 1.8 %Stark County: 3.3 %Stephenson County: 3.2 %Tazewell County: 2.6 %Union County: 5.4 %Vermilion County: 4.3 %Wabash County: 4.6 %Warren County: 10.2 %Washington County: 2.3 %Wayne County: 6.1 %White County: 1.4 %Whiteside County: 7.3 %Will County: 20.5 %Williamson County: 3.7 %Winnebago County: 15 %Woodford County: 1.8 %
  • Under 1.8
  • 1.8 to 2.7
  • 2.7 to 3.6
  • 3.6 to 4.7
  • 4.7 to 9.4
  • 9.4 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Cook County: 35.1 %Cook County35.1Kane County: 31.3 %Kane County31.3Lake County: 29.3 %Lake County29.3DuPage County: 28.4 %DuPage County28.4Will County: 20.5 %Will County20.5Douglas County: 19.3 %Douglas County19.3Boone County: 19 %Boone County19Cass County: 18.4 %Cass County18.4Kendall County: 18 %Kendall County18Champaign County: 17.4 %Champaign County17.4Winnebago County: 15 %Winnebago County15McHenry County: 13.8 %McHenry County13.8Rock Island County: 13.6 %Rock Island County13.6DeKalb County: 12.5 %DeKalb County12.5Moultrie County: 11.8 %Moultrie County11.8Warren County: 10.2 %Warren County10.2Kankakee County: 9.7 %Kankakee County9.7Jackson County: 9.4 %Jackson County9.4Peoria County: 8.6 %Peoria County8.6McLean County: 8.4 %McLean County8.4Bureau County: 7.7 %Bureau County7.7LaSalle County: 7.6 %LaSalle County7.6Whiteside County: 7.3 %Whiteside County7.3Ogle County: 7.2 %Ogle County7.2Grundy County: 6.8 %Grundy County6.8Iroquois County: 6.1 %Iroquois County6.1Wayne County: 6.1 %Wayne County6.1Knox County: 6 %Knox County6Brown County: 5.7 %Brown County5.7Union County: 5.4 %Union County5.4Fayette County: 5.4 %Fayette County5.4Pope County: 4.8 %Pope County4.8St. Clair County: 4.8 %St. Clair County4.8Perry County: 4.8 %Perry County4.8Randolph County: 4.7 %Randolph County4.7Wabash County: 4.6 %Wabash County4.6Carroll County: 4.5 %Carroll County4.5Sangamon County: 4.5 %Sangamon County4.5Lee County: 4.4 %Lee County4.4Vermilion County: 4.3 %Vermilion County4.3Cook County: 35.1 %Cook County35.1Kane County: 31.3 %Kane County31.3Lake County: 29.3 %Lake County29.3DuPage County: 28.4 %DuPage County28.4Will County: 20.5 %Will County20.5Douglas County: 19.3 %Douglas County19.3Boone County: 19 %Boone County19Cass County: 18.4 %Cass County18.4Kendall County: 18 %Kendall County18Champaign County: 17.4 %Champaign County17.4Winnebago County: 15 %Winnebago County15McHenry County: 13.8 %McHenry County13.8Rock Island County: 13.6 %Rock Island County13.6DeKalb County: 12.5 %DeKalb County12.5Moultrie County: 11.8 %Moultrie County11.8Warren County: 10.2 %Warren County10.2Kankakee County: 9.7 %Kankakee County9.7Jackson County: 9.4 %Jackson County9.4Peoria County: 8.6 %Peoria County8.6McLean County: 8.4 %McLean County8.4Bureau County: 7.7 %Bureau County7.7LaSalle County: 7.6 %LaSalle County7.6Whiteside County: 7.3 %Whiteside County7.3Ogle County: 7.2 %Ogle County7.2Grundy County: 6.8 %Grundy County6.8Iroquois County: 6.1 %Iroquois County6.1Wayne County: 6.1 %Wayne County6.1Knox County: 6 %Knox County6Brown County: 5.7 %Brown County5.7Union County: 5.4 %Union County5.4Fayette County: 5.4 %Fayette County5.4Pope County: 4.8 %Pope County4.8St. Clair County: 4.8 %St. Clair County4.8Perry County: 4.8 %Perry County4.8Randolph County: 4.7 %Randolph County4.7Wabash County: 4.6 %Wabash County4.6Carroll County: 4.5 %Carroll County4.5Sangamon County: 4.5 %Sangamon County4.5Lee County: 4.4 %Lee County4.4Vermilion County: 4.3 %Vermilion County4.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Cook County35.1
2Kane County31.3
3Lake County29.3
4DuPage County28.4
5Will County20.5
6Douglas County19.3
7Boone County19
8Cass County18.4
9Kendall County18
10Champaign County17.4
11Winnebago County15
12McHenry County13.8
13Rock Island County13.6
14DeKalb County12.5
15Moultrie County11.8
16Warren County10.2
17Kankakee County9.7
18Jackson County9.4
19Peoria County8.6
20McLean County8.4
21Bureau County7.7
22LaSalle County7.6
23Whiteside County7.3
24Ogle County7.2
25Grundy County6.8
26Iroquois County6.1
27Wayne County6.1
28Knox County6
29Brown County5.7
30Union County5.4
31Fayette County5.4
32Pope County4.8
33St. Clair County4.8
34Perry County4.8
35Randolph County4.7
36Wabash County4.6
37Carroll County4.5
38Sangamon County4.5
39Lee County4.4
40Vermilion County4.3
41McDonough County4.3
42Ford County4.2
43Lawrence County4.1
44Clinton County4.1
45Madison County4
46Macon County3.9
47Williamson County3.7
48Logan County3.7
49Coles County3.7
50Henry County3.6
51Livingston County3.6
52Saline County3.6
53Crawford County3.6
53Richland County3.6
55Putnam County3.4
56Jo Daviess County3.3
57Stark County3.3
58Jefferson County3.3
59Stephenson County3.2
60Effingham County3.2
61Fulton County3
62Johnson County3
63Bond County3
64Morgan County2.9
65Pike County2.9
66De Witt County2.8
67Montgomery County2.8
68Christian County2.8
69Tazewell County2.6
70Mercer County2.5
71Marshall County2.4
72Adams County2.3
73Washington County2.3
74Edwards County2.3
75Monroe County2.2
76Jasper County2.1
77Hancock County2.1
78Edgar County2.1
79Massac County2.1
80Piatt County2
81Schuyler County2
82Cumberland County2
83Mason County1.9
84Shelby County1.8
85Woodford County1.8
86Jersey County1.8
87Scott County1.6
88Clark County1.6
88Marion County1.6
90Henderson County1.6
91Franklin County1.5
92Macoupin County1.5
93White County1.4
94Menard County1.3
95Gallatin County1.3
96Hamilton County1.3
97Greene County1.2
98Clay County1.2
99Pulaski County1.1
100Calhoun County0.8
101Hardin County0.7
102Alexander County0.6

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of all people aged 5 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Measures the language used at home, not English ability: most people in this group also speak English. Spanish speakers are shown separately in spanish_at_home_share.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Illinois by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Illinois by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/illinois-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Illinois by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/illinois-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Illinois by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/illinois-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_illinois_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Illinois by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/illinois-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Illinois by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/illinois-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/illinois-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest population speaking a language other than English at home?

Cook County, with 35.1% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population speaking a language other than English at home?

Alexander County, with 0.6% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population speaking a language other than English at home: other rankings

Counties in Illinois: more rankings