We know Batavia offers a unique blend of historic charm and modern growth, but what do the actual numbers say about our city right now?
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) recently released its June 2026 Community Data Snapshot for Batavia. This new profile goes far beyond a simple headcount to give us a detailed, by-the-numbers look at who we are, how we live, and where we work.
Key takeaways from the latest data:
- We remain a highly educated, family-oriented community with a remarkably stable housing market.
- There has been a massive structural surge in residents working remotely.
- Our local industrial and manufacturing sector is thriving, acting as a major economic engine for the wider region.
Behind the Numbers: Where Does This Data Come From?
What is CMAP?
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the official regional planning organization for the northeastern Illinois metropolitan region, serving Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. CMAP is tasked with developing long-range comprehensive plans—such as the ON TO 2050 plan—that align policies and coordinate regional investments in transportation, land use, housing, environmental sustainability, and economic development.
How This Profile Differs from Standard US Census Data
While the standard U.S. Census decennial data provides a strict “point-in-time” headcount of the population every ten years, the CMAP Community Data Snapshot relies primarily on the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year rolling estimates (specifically the 2020-2024 data for this release). Because the ACS is sample-based, it represents statistical averages over a multi-year period rather than a literal headcount. Furthermore, CMAP enriches this data by integrating specialized regional and state data sources that the U.S. Census Bureau does not track on its own.
Additional Data Sources Used by CMAP
To build a holistic view of Batavia, CMAP synthesizes data from several specialized entities:
- Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT): Generates the Housing + Transportation (H+T) Affordability Index.
- Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES): Provides local workforce metrics via the Where Workers Work and Illinois at Work reports.
- U.S. Census Bureau (LEHD Program): The Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics data maps commuter inflows and job residency balances.
- Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR): Supplies comprehensive local retail sales and Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) property tax data.
- Illinois EPA & HERE Technologies: Provides geographic tracking and modeling to calculate annual Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT).
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR): Delivers water pumpage tracking via the Illinois Water Inventory Program.
- Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant: Tracks municipal drinking water and wastewater pricing trends.
Our Changing Demographics & Social Snapshot
Batavia exhibits a stable, highly educated, and maturing demographic profile.
- Growth and Size: Our total population sits at 27,151 residing across 10,708 households. Batavia has experienced steady, long-term growth, increasing by 13.8% overall between 2000 and 2024.
- Age Profile: The community has a median age of 42.0 years, notably older than the Kane County average of 38.8. Our largest population segment is the 35–49 age bracket (21.3%), closely followed by the 50–64 bracket (20.1%) and school-aged children (5–19 years old at 20.0%). Notably, the 65 and over demographic has climbed significantly over time, now accounting for 18.5% of residents. This may increase over time as the birth rate for Kane County has recently dropped by ~20%.
- Race and Ethnicity: The population identifies predominantly as White (Non-Hispanic) at 81.8%. The largest minority demographic is Hispanic or Latino at 8.9%, followed by Multiracial/Other backgrounds at 5.3%, Black (Non-Hispanic) at 2.4%, and Asian at 1.5%.
- Education: Educational attainment is exceptionally high. 56.5% of Batavia residents aged 25 or older hold a college degree—33.5% have earned a Bachelor’s degree and 23.0% possess a Graduate or Professional degree.
- Nativity and Language: 94.2% of residents are native-born. English is the exclusive language spoken in 92.4% of households, with Spanish being the second most prevalent language at 4.6%. Only 1.5% of our population speaks English less than “very well”.
Wealth, Income, and Health
- Household Wealth: Batavia presents strong economic fundamentals, with a Median Household Income of $120,056 and a per capita income of $58,410. A commanding 38.7% of households earn $150,000 or more annually. Surprisingly, these new numbers put Batavia in the top fifty wealthiest communities in Illinois.
- Social Safety Net: The community maintains an incredibly low uninsured rate of just 2.3%, indicating high rates of employer-sponsored or private health coverage.
- Disability Status: 11.2% of the population lives with one or more disabilities. Cognitive and ambulatory difficulties represent the most common challenges, impacting 4.2% and 4.4% of residents, respectively.
Housing in Batavia: Stability, Costs, and Era Built
Batavia’s housing landscape features exceptionally high occupancy rates and a strong baseline of historic architecture blended with rapid late-20th-century expansion.
- Occupancy and Tenure: Out of all available housing units, an impressive 98.8% are occupied, leaving a tiny structural vacancy rate of 1.2%. Homeownership is dominant at 77.2%, while renter-occupied units make up 22.8%.
- Housing Type and Size: Single-family detached homes form the backbone of our neighborhoods at 68.5%. Single-family attached homes (townhomes) account for 10.5%, while larger multi-family complexes (20+ units) represent 8.8%. In terms of space, larger homes prevail: 35.6% of the inventory consists of 4-bedroom homes, and 26.4% consists of 3-bedroom homes.
- Affordability & The H+T Index: Traditional metrics look at housing alone (where a 30% income threshold is considered affordable). However, when factoring in location-based transportation costs, the standard combined affordability benchmark is 45%. In Batavia, a typical median-income family spends 49% of their income on combined Housing (31%) and Transportation (19%) expenses, indicating a slight regional cost premium.
Housing Age Breakdown (By Era Built)
CMAP aggregates structural age data into custom historical blocks rather than single decades. The inventory breaks down as follows:
| Era Built | Number of Units | Percentage of Total Inventory | Key Character Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built 2010 or Later | 566 | 5.2% | Modern, high-efficiency infill and recent developments. |
| Built 1990 to 2009 | 4,213 | 38.9% | The peak historic construction boom for the city. |
| Built 1970 to 1989 | 2,570 | 23.7% | Significant mid-to-late century subdivision expansion. |
| Built 1940 to 1969 | 1,751 | 16.2% | Post-war suburban additions. |
| Built Before 1940 | 1,740 | 16.1% | Core historic stock, representing our architectural heritage. |
| Median Year Built | 1985 | — | — |
The Remote Work Shift & How We Commute
- The Remote Work Surge: The data reveals a massive structural transformation in how we work. Remote work skyrocketed from 7.0% in the 2010–2014 tracking period to 24.3% in the 2020–2024 window.
- Commuting Habits: For physical commuters, driving alone remains the primary method (65.1%). Carpooling stands at 5.5%, public transit usage sits at 2.4%, and walking or biking accounts for 1.7%. The mean commute time for those who do travel to a workplace is 28.9 minutes.
- Vehicle Assets and Mileage: Batavia households are highly vehicle-dependent; 43.1% possess two vehicles, and 20.8% possess three or more. On average, Batavia households accumulate 16,219 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per year, which is notably higher than the CMAP regional average of 13,828 miles.
Batavia’s Economy: A Surprising Regional Industrial Powerhouse
The employment metrics reveal a fascinating relationship between Batavia, Chicago, and neighboring Aurora, proving that our city is both a major industrial employment hub and a residential commuter base.
- Workforce Statistics: Our local labor force participation rate is high at 69.0%, with a very low localized unemployment rate of 2.5%. Private sector employment physically located within Batavia has surged dramatically, growing 33.9% between 2015 and 2025 to reach 18,723 total jobs. This gives the city an excellent ratio of 1.75 local private-sector jobs for every single household.
- Where Batavia Residents Work: The top employment destination for residents is Chicago (12.4%), followed by Batavia itself (9.6%), Aurora (7.0%), and Geneva (6.0%). The top industry sectors for Batavia residents are Education (11.0%), Health Care (11.0%), and Professional Services (10.9%).
- Jobs Located Inside Batavia: The physical job base located within our city limits tells a completely different story. A massive 25.8% of all jobs physically located in Batavia are in Manufacturing, followed by Corporate/Industrial Management at 11.7% and Wholesale Trade at 9.9%. These industrial positions draw heavily from the wider region: Aurora is the number one residence location for Batavia’s workforce (11.9%), while Batavia residents fill only 7.0% of the jobs located within our own city borders.
Land Use and Our Tax Base
- Footprint Composition: Batavia encompasses 7,080.8 total acres. Single-family residential space accounts for the largest share at 39.6% (2,803.5 acres). Reflecting our strong industrial and community asset footprint, Institutional uses (11.5%) and Industrial zones (11.4%) command large blocks of land. Open Space accounts for 5.5%, commercial development covers 4.9%, and active agricultural land has dwindled to just 1.3%.
- Retail and Equalized Assessed Value (EAV): The city generated $733,281,292 in total retail sales ($27,008 per capita), anchored heavily by $581M in general merchandise. Our total EAV property tax base stands at $1,422,330,223. Residential real estate carries the primary tax base load at $1.03B, but Industrial properties provide a robust commercial cushion at $239.19M, substantially outperforming the city’s standard commercial retail EAV of $147.43M.
Water Supply and Utility Pricing Trends
- Source and Consumption Trends: Batavia relies entirely on groundwater assets, pulling from a mix of Shallow Groundwater and Deep Groundwater aquifers. Sustainable conservation efforts have yielded excellent results: between 2008 and 2018, total municipal water withdrawals decreased by 10.4% down to 2.76 million gallons per day (MGD). Daily per capita demand dropped 9.5% over the same period, down to 106.9 gallons per day.
- Utility Rate Profiles: Adjusted to 2024 dollars, a standard monthly consumer bill for 5,000 gallons of drinking water actually decreased slightly (-4.9%) between 2016 and 2022 to $33.19. However, infrastructure maintenance and system investment costs drove a substantial 25.0% increase in sewer utility pricing, rising to $45.70 per month. Combined, the average basic utility expense for 5,000 gallons is $78.89.
The Tri-Cities at a Glance
| Metric | Batavia | Geneva | St. Charles |
| Population | 26,730 | 21,393 | 33,482 |
| Median Household Income | $120,056 | $144,341 | $114,300 |
| Median Home Value | $349,700 | $441,400 | $377,400 |
Demographic Distribution
While the total populations differ, the age distribution tells a deeper story about housing life cycles, ward-level needs, and the local tax base.
| Age Bracket | Batavia | Geneva | St. Charles |
| Under 20 | 26.5% | 26.1% | 22.1% |
| 20 to 34 | 15.5% | 14.8% | 19.9% |
| 35 to 49 | 19.7% | 20.5% | 18.1% |
| 50 to 64 | 20.4% | 21.5% | 22.6% |
| 65 and Over | 17.9% | 17.1% | 17.4% |
(Data derived from the CMAP Community Data Snapshots and the 2020-2024 American Community Survey).
- Housing & Rehabilitation: Geneva has the lowest percentage of 20-34 year olds, largely due to the $441k barrier of entry.
- Commercial & Young Adult Retention: St. Charles captures the largest share of the 20-34 demographic (19.9%). This younger adult base, combined with the largest overall population, drives a different kind of commercial zoning and local business demand than a strictly family-dominated area.
- The Family Base: With over a quarter of its population under 20, Batavia exhibits strong family retention and remains the best value play for raising a family.
Author: Jim Fahrenbach
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