Evanston’s population growth between 2010 and 2020 was driven largely by eight sizable planned unit rental developments completed during the decade.
2020 U.S. Census data released last week shows that Evanston’s population grew by 4.9% during the decade, substantially better than the 1.6% increase for Cook County as a whole or the 0.1% decline in population for the state.
The census reports the net addition of 1,281 housing units in Evanston across the decade.
The three census tracts in northwest Evanston showed a loss of a total of 327 housing units, but there were substantial increases in other areas of the city.
(The decline in the reported number of housing units in northwest Evanston tracts 8090 and 8091 appears to stem from a recharacterization by the Census Bureau in 2020 of independent living units at Westminster Place and Three Crowns Park to institutional group quarters, which are excluded from the housing unit tally.)
Census tract 8088 in northeast Evanston added two new rental developments along Central Street — Central Station at 1700 Central, with 80 units completed in 2013, and 1620 Central St., with 47 units completed in 2017.
In downtown Evanston, census tract 8094.01 added the 268-unit Albion Evanston development at 1500 Sherman Ave. in 2019 and tract 8094.02 added the 352-unit E2 development at 1890 Maple Ave. and 1881 Oak Ave in 2015.
Also downtown, tract 8095 saw two new developments, the 175-unit 1717 Ridge Ave. building in 2013 and the 101-unit Centrum Evanston development at 1571 Maple Ave. in 2017.
And in south Evanston tract 8100 saw completion of the 215-unit AMLI Evanston development at 737 Chicago Ave. and the 112-unit The Main building at 847 Chicago Ave. in 2016.
The average household size in Evanston, calculated from the non-group quarters population divided by the number of occupied housing units, remained almost unchanged. It was 2.25 in 2010 and 2.26 in 2020.
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