Because DeKalb has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local DeKalb lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in DeKalb is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In DeKalb people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.
The population of DeKalb is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 38.69% of adults in DeKalb have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.
The per capita income in DeKalb in 2022 was $26,761, which is low income relative to Illinois, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $107,044 for a family of four. However, DeKalb contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
DeKalb is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call DeKalb home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of DeKalb residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. DeKalb also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 16.12% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in DeKalb include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Polish.
The most common language spoken in DeKalb is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.
