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Cook County, IL — Restaurants Saturation

How many restaurants exist per person present — residents plus daytime workers — by ZIP code, compared with the U.S. average. Establishment data: Census ZBP 2023. Population: ACS 2024 5-year. 186 ZIP codes analyzed.

Includes: Sit-down restaurants with table service. Counted together because official statistics use one 722511 code.

Measured density: Above average — 1.05× the U.S. rate (between 1.05× and 1.06× once withheld ZIP cells are counted)

Why a range: Census does not publish a ZIP-by-industry count when that ZIP has 0–2 businesses. 35 ZIP cells in this county are withheld, 16 of them with residents. Each could hold 0, 1, or 2 businesses: counting them all as 0 gives the low end, counting them all as 2 gives the high end — the data cannot say where the truth sits. The density range uses only the populated cells, since ZIPs without residents are excluded from per-person rates. How ranges work

In line with the U.S. rate   Cook County restaurants — 105–106% of the U.S. rate

4,257 restaurants are counted in Cook County — 6.7 per 10,000 people present (residents + daytime workers), 105% of the U.S. rate of 6.4.

On the comparable ZIP set (ZIPs with a published count in every year), the total has risen 9% between 2015 and 2023 (3,867 → 4,217). That set is smaller than today's county total. 2020–2021 were pandemic-distorted, and Census rounds counts, so small moves are within noise.

Measured supply density is highest in 60622 (Chicago), 60614 (Chicago), 60616 (Chicago) — well above the national rate. On measured density alone, the lowest-density residential ZIPs with a published count are 60655 (Chicago), 60466 (Park Forest), 60153 (Maywood).

BLS QCEW puts the latest county-wide count (2026 Q1) at 4,470 establishments, the freshest available signal.

Measured density: Cook County sits at 105% of the U.S. rate for restaurants. 16 ZIPs with population have no published count (each 0–2 businesses), so the true per-capita rate is between 105% and 106% of the U.S. rate. Why. The highest measured density is in 60622 and 60614; the lowest measured density is in 60655 and 60466.

This is a supply-side read: it counts existing restaurants and the people present, not foot traffic, income, rent, or whether locals want more. Treat low density as a question to check, not an answer.

Restaurants
4,257–4,327
published count; upper bound counts each withheld ZIP cell as 2 (35 cells) (2023)
Per 10,000 present
6.7
residents + daytime workers
U.S. average
6.4
per 10,000 present
County index
1.05×
vs. U.S.
Latest quarter (QCEW)
4,470
2026 Q1 — county total
Residents
5,132,257
166 ZIPs with data
Workers
2,445,383
jobs located in county

Is the area growing?

Population
5,182,617
Census PEP, July 1 2024
Change since 2020
−1.6%
−84,455 people
Net migration 2024
+30,570
international +67,763, domestic −37,193
Jobs located here
2,616,104
LODES 2022, −1.9% since 2019

Cook County had an estimated 5,182,617 residents on July 1, 2024 — 1.6% fewer than in 2020 (−84,455). In the latest year it gained 40,095 people: births minus deaths +9,459, international migration +67,763, domestic migration −37,193. Components are published separately and may not sum exactly.

2,616,104 jobs were located in the county in 2022 (−1.9% since 2019), and 2,331,664 employed residents lived there (−3.2% since 2019). LODES counts wage and salary jobs covered by unemployment insurance plus federal jobs; it excludes the self-employed and military, and counts jobs rather than unique people. 2019→2022 spans the pandemic, so read it as one change, not a trend.

Population and migration say whether the customer base is growing. They do not say whether people want another business of this type. Definitions and limits →  ·  Full county detail →

ZIP gaining residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
60654 Chicago
+28.6%
60605 Chicago
+24.6%
60611 Chicago
+13.5%
ZIP losing residents
2015–19 → 2020–24
Change
60445 Midlothian
−44.7%
60426 Harvey
−16.7%
60827 Riverdale
−13.2%

ACS 5-year estimates for 2015–2019 and 2020–2024. Only ZIPs with at least 2,000 residents in both windows and a change larger than the survey margin of error (90%) are listed — small ZIPs move a lot on paper without a real signal.

Nonemployer businesses (no paid employees)

Nonemployer businesses
1,468
no paid employees (2024)
Receipts
$101.1M
published gross receipts
Receipts per business
$69K
gross, not profit

Census Nonemployer Statistics counts businesses with no paid employees — a separate universe from the employer establishments counted above; a business is in one or the other, never both. They are not storefronts by definition: many are home-based, mobile, or part-time.

We show them beside the density index, not inside it. In categories such as nail and beauty salons, child care, and pet care, one-person businesses can outnumber employer establishments, so the employer-only count understates how many businesses exist. That is not evidence of higher demand.

Receipts are gross revenue reported for these businesses — not profit, and not the size of the local market. Census publishes this only at county level, so it is not shown on the ZIP map. See methodology.

Saturation map

Each ZIP area is shaded by its density of this business type per person present (residents + workers) vs. the U.S. average. Click any ZIP to zoom to its boundary, see its numbers, and switch to aerial imagery. Individual mapped shops appear as dots at street level — Show locations zooms you in to them (scroll or double-click to zoom).

Basemap:
Under 50% 50–100% 100–150% 150–250% 250%+ 0–2 (not published) / no data ZIP total (dot size) Mapped shop (OpenStreetMap, street level)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap.

White dots are ZIP totals from the official Census count — the bigger the dot, the more restaurants in that ZIP. They are aggregated, not individual shops. Turquoise dots are individual locations mapped in OpenStreetMap, shown only at street level; they are crowd-sourced and indicative, may be incomplete, and do not equal the official counts. Only the official ZIP totals feed the saturation index.

Market trend — up 9% since 2015

Number of restaurants in Cook County across 2015–2023, on a consistent set of ZIP codes present in every year — so changes are real, not ZIP-boundary artifacts. 2015/2018 are pre-pandemic baselines; 2020/2021 are COVID-distorted.

3,867
2015
4,162
2018
4,088
2020
4,033
2021
4,156
2022
4,217
2023

Highest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
60622 Chicago
312%
60614 Chicago
284%
60616 Chicago
268%
60657 Chicago
266%
60647 Chicago
255%
60463 Palos Heights
223%
60610 Chicago
219%
60642 Chicago
202%
60480 Willow Springs
190%
60712 Lincolnwood
189%
60613 Chicago
180%
60130 Forest Park
177%
60462 Orland Park
172%
60605 Chicago
171%
60714 Niles
170%

Lowest measured density

ZIP
vs. U.S. average
Index
60655 Chicago
21%
60466 Park Forest
21%
60153 Maywood
21%
60620 Chicago
23%
60637 Chicago
23%
60104 Bellwood
23%
60473 South Holland
23%
60827 Riverdale
24%
60649 Chicago
28%
60651 Chicago
28%
60426 Harvey
28%
60617 Chicago
29%
60628 Chicago
32%
60645 Chicago
34%
60619 Chicago
35%
Low measured density is not evidence of opportunity. A ZIP with few restaurants may simply lack foot traffic, retail space, or demand. We rank only residential and mixed ZIPs here; employment hubs and visitor destinations are listed separately below. ZIPs where Census did not publish a count (0–2 businesses) are not ranked: they may be the least served of all, but the data cannot tell 0 from 1 or 2. Verify those locally.

Employment hubs & destinations

These ZIPs have far more workers (or visitors) than residents, so their counts are driven by daytime and visitor demand — not a place to read "shortage" from resident numbers alone.

ZIPNeighborhoodType ResidentsWorkersRestaurantsIndex
60607Chicago Employment hub 32,39268,600 116 272%
60654Chicago Employment hub 25,75568,006 102 267%
60173Schaumburg Employment hub 13,65052,694 66 258%
60611Chicago Employment hub 37,70589,024 115 219%
60661Chicago Employment hub 11,39864,670 41 147%
60602Chicago Destination 1,48033,916 16 136%
60604Chicago Destination 61641,171 14 103%
60603Chicago Destination 1,29860,606 18 89%
60601Chicago Employment hub 15,23583,170 32 88%
60606Chicago Destination 3,840203,655 23 34%

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

All ZIP codes

Click a column header to sort. Index = restaurants per 10,000 people present (residents + 0.5×workers) ÷ the U.S. average. 100% = exactly average.

ZIPNeighborhood ResidentsWorkersRestaurants Per 10kIndexStatus
60301Oak Park 3,4754,793 18 30.7 480% Very high density
60622Chicago 54,60925,035 134 20.0 312% Very high density
60195Schaumburg 4,3975,331 13 18.4 288% Very high density
60614Chicago 70,69327,556 153 18.1 284% Very high density
60607Chicago 32,39268,600 116 17.4 272% Very high density
60616Chicago 54,30824,459 114 17.1 268% Very high density
60654Chicago 25,75568,006 102 17.1 267% Very high density
60657Chicago 71,90420,985 140 17.0 266% Very high density
60173Schaumburg 13,65052,694 66 16.5 258% Very high density
60647Chicago 84,74918,625 153 16.3 255% Very high density
60165Stone Park 4,4821,140 8 15.8 248% High density
60463Palos Heights 13,7226,296 24 14.2 223% High density
60610Chicago 44,88324,563 80 14.0 219% High density
60611Chicago 37,70589,024 115 14.0 219% High density
60642Chicago 21,78921,425 42 12.9 202% High density
60480Willow Springs 5,388773 7 12.1 190% High density
60712Lincolnwood 13,11210,293 22 12.0 189% High density
60613Chicago 52,24415,412 69 11.5 180% High density
60130Forest Park 13,9437,440 20 11.3 177% High density
60462Orland Park 41,45617,270 55 11.0 172% High density
60605Chicago 36,21022,820 52 10.9 171% High density
60714Niles 30,30524,130 46 10.9 170% High density
60445Midlothian 14,2686,940 19 10.7 168% High density
60640Chicago 65,44517,714 77 10.4 162% High density
60659Chicago 41,7289,683 48 10.3 161% High density
60176Schiller Park 11,3936,458 15 10.3 161% High density
60625Chicago 76,76012,820 83 10.0 156% High density
60201Evanston 43,74425,259 56 9.9 155% High density
60026Glenview 14,0698,480 18 9.8 154% High density
60661Chicago 11,39864,670 41 9.4 147% Above average
60608Chicago 80,73729,377 89 9.3 146% Above average
60160Melrose Park 24,54917,614 31 9.3 145% Above average
60546Riverside 16,3224,686 17 9.1 143% Above average
60018Des Plaines 27,95247,694 47 9.1 142% Above average
60053Morton Grove 24,61910,528 27 9.0 141% Above average
60005Arlington Heights 28,84320,389 35 9.0 140% Above average
60525La Grange 31,32441,056 46 8.9 139% Above average
60501Summit Argo 11,4324,212 12 8.9 139% Above average
60618Chicago 91,90120,260 90 8.8 138% Above average
60602Chicago 1,48033,916 16 8.7 136% Above average
60706Harwood Heights 24,2607,647 24 8.5 134% Above average
60192Hoffman Estates 16,4617,007 17 8.5 133% Above average
60194Schaumburg 19,7565,345 19 8.5 133% Above average
60805Evergreen Park 19,4206,844 19 8.3 130% Above average
60477Tinley Park 35,97613,621 35 8.2 128% Above average
60025Glenview 41,68915,355 40 8.1 127% Above average
60056Mount Prospect 55,81817,452 52 8.1 126% Above average
60093Winnetka 19,86710,004 20 8.0 126% Above average
60077Skokie 28,50120,601 31 8.0 125% Above average
60455Bridgeview 16,87210,328 17 7.7 121% Above average
60415Chicago Ridge 14,0994,484 12 7.3 115% Above average
60067Palatine 38,20413,951 33 7.3 114% Above average
60425Glenwood 8,7141,909 7 7.2 113% Above average
60090Wheeling 38,29820,419 35 7.2 113% Above average
60513Brookfield 19,3433,146 15 7.2 112% Above average
60534Lyons 10,3272,008 8 7.1 111% Above average
60465Palos Hills 18,0813,499 14 7.1 111% Above average
60660Chicago 42,72411,098 34 7.0 110% Above average
60439Lemont 24,19212,721 21 6.9 108% Above average
60068Park Ridge 38,65015,904 32 6.9 107% Above average
60062Northbrook 41,40646,099 44 6.8 107% Above average
60458Justice 14,2001,189 10 6.8 106% Above average
60604Chicago 61641,171 14 6.6 103% Above average
60430Homewood 19,83812,628 17 6.5 102% Above average
60615Chicago 42,9757,045 30 6.5 101% Above average
60193Schaumburg 40,1469,409 27 6.0 94% Below average
60004Arlington Heights 51,83520,130 37 6.0 94% Below average
60091Wilmette 27,3335,627 18 6.0 93% Below average
60169Hoffman Estates 33,40110,355 23 6.0 93% Below average
60467Orland Park 24,3988,422 17 5.9 93% Below average
60443Matteson 20,6637,534 14 5.7 90% Below average
60603Chicago 1,29860,606 18 5.7 89% Below average
60453Oak Lawn 56,86120,791 38 5.7 88% Below average
60464Palos Park 9,7731,758 6 5.6 88% Below average
60601Chicago 15,23583,170 32 5.6 88% Below average
60438Lansing 28,8067,275 18 5.5 87% Below average
60634Chicago 73,8859,038 43 5.5 86% Below average
60007Elk Grove Village 32,59244,419 30 5.5 86% Below average
60452Oak Forest 26,7395,281 16 5.4 85% Below average
60641Chicago 68,89412,906 40 5.3 83% Below average
60482Worth 10,8971,288 6 5.2 81% Below average
60707Elmwood Park 41,1166,357 23 5.2 81% Below average
60162Hillside 8,0847,285 6 5.1 80% Below average
60163Berkeley 5,1991,517 3 5.0 79% Below average
60639Chicago 84,24015,433 46 5.0 78% Below average
60202Evanston 32,3417,547 18 5.0 78% Below average
60632Chicago 89,10720,101 49 4.9 77% Below average
60304Oak Park 16,9552,964 9 4.9 76% Below average
60422Flossmoor 9,5421,424 5 4.9 76% Below average
60646Chicago 28,7808,214 16 4.9 76% Below average
60459Burbank 28,7394,621 15 4.8 76% Below average
60008Rolling Meadows 22,80021,481 16 4.8 75% Below average
60016Des Plaines 60,89817,329 33 4.7 74% Below average
60164Melrose Park 20,8728,892 12 4.7 74% Below average
60107Streamwood 38,8866,624 20 4.7 74% Below average
60803Alsip 22,10615,497 14 4.7 73% Below average
60631Chicago 30,92423,781 20 4.7 73% Below average
60630Chicago 55,4869,520 28 4.6 73% Below average
60402Berwyn 63,72112,054 32 4.6 72% Below average
60076Skokie 32,95319,696 19 4.4 69% Below average
60302Oak Park 32,8627,083 16 4.4 69% Below average
60457Hickory Hills 14,5033,211 7 4.3 68% Below average
60804Cicero 82,79714,661 39 4.3 68% Below average
60418Crestwood 10,5722,133 5 4.3 67% Below average
60526La Grange Park 13,4591,746 6 4.2 66% Below average
60558Western Springs 13,4462,222 6 4.1 65% Below average
60609Chicago 62,02818,440 28 3.9 62% Below average
60409Calumet City 35,1007,660 15 3.9 60% Below average
60629Chicago 108,3248,370 43 3.8 60% Below average
60638Chicago 57,07437,741 29 3.8 60% Below average
60475Steger 10,035887 4 3.8 60% Below average
60133Hanover Park 36,7326,371 15 3.8 59% Below average
60131Franklin Park 18,05417,688 10 3.7 58% Below average
60471Richton Park 12,8481,435 5 3.7 58% Below average
60070Prospect Heights 15,4961,603 6 3.7 58% Below average
60305River Forest 11,9924,595 5 3.5 55% Below average
60406Blue Island 23,3274,972 9 3.5 55% Below average
60478Country Club Hills 16,3902,171 6 3.4 54% Below average
60623Chicago 81,27712,534 30 3.4 54% Below average
60154Westchester 16,4369,124 7 3.3 52% Below average
60074Palatine 36,4608,793 13 3.2 50% Far below average
60643Chicago 45,9429,019 16 3.2 50% Far below average
60419Dolton 20,8252,530 7 3.2 50% Far below average
60656Chicago 29,5385,140 10 3.1 49% Far below average
60487Tinley Park 26,0436,646 9 3.1 48% Far below average
60626Chicago 49,6627,775 16 3.0 47% Far below average
60653Chicago 33,3833,171 10 2.9 45% Far below average
60155Broadview 7,9066,792 3 2.7 42% Far below average
60171River Grove 10,4512,096 3 2.6 41% Far below average
60636Chicago 32,1983,505 8 2.4 37% Far below average
60411Chicago Heights 52,17515,397 14 2.3 37% Far below average
60652Chicago 41,0745,715 10 2.3 36% Far below average
60633Chicago 12,47410,315 4 2.3 36% Far below average
60612Chicago 35,74444,360 13 2.2 35% Far below average
60619Chicago 59,5036,093 14 2.2 35% Far below average
60645Chicago 48,2084,307 11 2.2 34% Far below average
60606Chicago 3,840203,655 23 2.2 34% Far below average
60628Chicago 60,4317,654 13 2.0 32% Far below average
60617Chicago 74,7909,915 15 1.9 29% Far below average
60426Harvey 23,9067,383 5 1.8 28% Far below average
60651Chicago 63,3356,154 12 1.8 28% Far below average
60649Chicago 48,0564,778 9 1.8 28% Far below average
60827Riverdale 24,7132,241 4 1.5 24% Far below average
60473South Holland 21,22510,974 4 1.5 23% Far below average
60104Bellwood 18,2563,868 3 1.5 23% Far below average
60637Chicago 52,72131,368 10 1.5 23% Far below average
60620Chicago 64,8717,319 10 1.5 23% Far below average
60153Maywood 23,20111,871 4 1.4 21% Far below average
60466Park Forest 21,4612,093 3 1.3 21% Far below average
60655Chicago 28,4343,995 4 1.3 21% Far below average
60006Arlington Heights —36 0–2 — — Not published
60017Des Plaines —170 0–2 — — Not published
60022Glencoe 8,3522,391 0–2 — — Not published
60029Golf 51888 0–2 — — Not published
60043Kenilworth 2,503555 0–2 — — Not published
60065Northbrook —201 0–2 — — Not published
60078Palatine —40 0–2 — — Not published
60082Techny —184 0–2 — — Not published
60141Hines 1953,318 0–2 — — Not published
60159Schaumburg —14 0–2 — — Not published
60161Melrose Park —61 0–2 — — Not published
60168Schaumburg —27 0–2 — — Not published
60179Hoffman Estates —1,237 0–2 — — Not published
60196Schaumburg —3,103 0–2 — — Not published
60203Evanston 4,680390 0–2 — — Not published
60204Evanston —160 0–2 — — Not published
60208Evanston 25520,972 0–2 — — Not published
60303Oak Park —20 0–2 — — Not published
60412Chicago Heights —43 0–2 — — Not published
60428Markham 10,9273,809 0–2 — — Not published
60429Hazel Crest 14,8644,802 0–2 — — Not published
60454Oak Lawn —156 0–2 — — Not published
60456Hometown 4,215339 0–2 — — Not published
60461Olympia Fields 4,7613,726 0–2 — — Not published
60469Posen 5,205774 0–2 — — Not published
60472Robbins 4,563217 0–2 — — Not published
60476Thornton 1,940780 0–2 — — Not published
60499Bedford Park —77 0–2 — — Not published
60621Chicago 28,3013,833 0–2 — — Not published
60624Chicago 35,2636,140 0–2 — — Not published
60644Chicago 47,2105,433 0–2 — — Not published
60666Chicago —37,159 3 — — Not published
60673Chicago —7 0–2 — — Not published
60680Chicago —80 0–2 — — Not published
60690Chicago —25 0–2 — — Not published
60699Chicago —50 0–2 — — Not published

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Find an actual space in Chicago

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Census withholds some ZIP-by-industry cells to protect small businesses. 0–2 means the cell was not published (Census publishes industry counts only at 3+ per ZIP), so the ZIP is left unranked rather than counted as zero. ~ means the count is estimated from the broader industry group and can be off by a business or two.

Follow Cook County and restaurants

When a data vintage changes or a section of this report is revised, we post it to a public update feed. No email address, no account, no tracking — and nothing is sent unless something actually changed.

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Methodology & sources

Establishments. U.S. Census ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP 2023), NAICS 722511 — full-service restaurants. Counts establishments with paid employees. ZBP is published annually with a ~2-year lag.

Fresh county signal. BLS QCEW (quarterly) is newer than ZBP — 2026 Q1 shows 4,470 establishments county-wide for this industry. It cannot be broken down by ZIP.

Population. U.S. Census American Community Survey 2024 5-year ZCTA population (table B01003). Workers are the ZIP's total employment from the same 2023 ZBP file.

Demand ("people present"). Demand comes from residents and daytime workers: residents + 0.5 × workers. This is the single documented assumption in the model and can be tuned.

Index. index = (ZIP establishments ÷ ZIP demand × 10,000) ÷ the U.S. average for this industry (6.39 per 10,000 present). It is a supply-side density measure; it does not capture income, rent, tourism, or whether locals actually want more.

Read the full methodology →  ·  Data sources & vintages →

BizGapMap — free, no-login small-business saturation reports for major U.S. counties. Built entirely from public U.S. Census, BLS, and IRS data (ZBP 2023, ACS 2024 5-year, PEP 2024, LODES, QCEW, IRS SOI). No forecasts, no revenue guesses — withheld cells are marked, and the few derived counts are labelled as estimates.