Will County Profile
Will County is well positioned for business growth for the next twenty years. Our strategic location, available and affordable land, more than 180 million square feet of commercial/industrial space and tremendous highway, rail, water, and air transportation accessibility and services make us a very desirable location for business and industry. Couple that with a highly skilled, available workforce, low property taxes and a pro-growth attitude among its thirty-seven municipalities Will County is a leading “job growth engine” in the Midwest. Will County has added over 24,000 jobs in the last 3 years. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
With the opening of the CenterPoint Intermodal Center in 2002 Will County established itself as a “Global Transportation Center.” Since the opening of BNSF Logistics Park Chicago intermodal facility in Elwood and the Union Pacific’s Global IV intermodal center in Joliet, Will County has become the Largest Inland Container Port in North America, handling over 3 million TEU containers annually.
Will County’s status as the largest inland port in North America provides benefits to businesses seeking reliable connections to global markets, reduced transportation costs and supply chain diversification. In addition to the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics industry cluster, Will County is also focused on recruiting and growing businesses in the Advanced Manufacturing, Food Processing, Energy and Life Sciences industry sectors. Our public and private higher education institutions meeting the needs of employers and their employees support all of this. In addition:
With the opening of the CenterPoint Intermodal Center in 2002 Will County established itself as a “Global Transportation Center.” Since the opening of BNSF Logistics Park Chicago intermodal facility in Elwood and the Union Pacific’s Global IV intermodal center in Joliet, Will County has become the Largest Inland Container Port in North America, handling over 3 million TEU containers annually.
Will County’s status as the largest inland port in North America provides benefits to businesses seeking reliable connections to global markets, reduced transportation costs and supply chain diversification. In addition to the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics industry cluster, Will County is also focused on recruiting and growing businesses in the Advanced Manufacturing, Food Processing, Energy and Life Sciences industry sectors. Our public and private higher education institutions meeting the needs of employers and their employees support all of this. In addition:
- Will County, covering 850 square miles, is one of 102 counties in Illinois. It is part of the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. (Bureau of Economic Analysis)
- Will County experienced a 37% population increase between 2000 and 2017 and 2.0% between 2010 and 2017. Current population is estimated at 696,215. (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- The U.S. Census Bureau lists Will County as one of the 100 largest counties by population in the nation, and the 4th most populous county in Illinois.
- The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) projects that Will County’s population will exceed 1 million by the year 2050.
- The median household income is $82,477, 6th-highest in Illinois (US Census 2017)
- The median home value is $222,700, up 4.9% over 2017. (Zillow, Dec. 2018)
- 96.4% of the labor force is employed; 17.7% work in goods-producing jobs, outpacing both State and national averages. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- In 2017, Will County had a per capita personal income of $50,638, an increase of 3.7% from the previous year. (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
- Will County added 1,380 housing units in 2017, and 1,392 through October 2018 (HUD)
- The number of Will County business establishments is approximately 14,749. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- The total amount of industrial square footage is 181.1 million square feet within 1,956 buildings. (Costar)
- The region has a civilian labor force of 357,377 with a participation rate of 64.3%. 33.6% of Will County residents possess a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. (2.8% above the national average). (Census Bureau)
- Will County is home to a number of higher education institutions: DeVry University, Governors State University, Joliet Junior College, Lewis University, Rasmussen College, and University of Saint Francis.
