Cook County, Illinois, has announced a major update to its 2010-2020 Census Demographics App. The newly updated interactive map makes it easier to identify a variety of demographic changes that took place in Cook County on a census-tract level between 2015 and 2020.
According to a press release from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, the updated map, now called “Everyone Counts,” includes changes in age, ancestry, income, education, and more. The new map includes a “trove” of additional data released since the map was created using data from the 2020 Census.
“Understanding how Cook County is changing over the years is crucial for policy-making and invaluable for our residents looking to learn more about their communities,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “This app can also be used by the hundreds of municipalities, school districts, and other units of government within Cook County to find ways to meet the needs of residents.”
As part of the new updates, Everyone Counts lets users see whether the number of seniors residing in a particular suburban municipality have decreased or increased, and by how many. Users can also see the whole county or individual county commissioner districts, townships, or zip codes. The app includes median income, population below the poverty line, unemployed population, and other key statistics. The app, available in both English and Spanish, works on most mobile devices and computers.
“As chair of the Technology and Innovation Committee, I am excited to see the County take another step toward greater equity in the realm of technological innovation,” said Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison. “This updated system will not only help service providers better understand our diverse communities but also better inform our policy decisions moving forward.”
The map includes employment data collected during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors can see some of the immediate pandemic impacts, such as the way census respondents reported traveling to work.
“The U.S. Census Bureau puts out a tremendous amount of data, but it can be difficult to parse even for subject matter experts,” said Tom Lynch, Cook County CIO. “We hoped to unlock the potential for smaller government entities, non-profits, community organizations as well as for anyone who happens to be curious about how their neighborhood has changed in the last few years.”
