Indian Population in Illinois: Cities, Jobs, Income, Students & Community Trends
Illinois has a large, well-established Indian community centered on the Chicago metro, especially the western suburbs like Naperville, Schaumburg, and Aurora. Devon Avenue in Chicago is a historic South Asian commercial hub. Exact counts vary by ACS/Census definition.
For the national picture, see our pillar guide on the Indian population in USA.
Last updated: July 5, 2026
Indian Population in Illinois — Quick Facts
- State rank / concentration
- High
- Major Indian metro areas
- Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg
- Common occupations
- IT, medicine, engineering, finance, business, academia
- Student / university hubs
- Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg area universities
- Community drivers
- Tech, healthcare, business
- Best-known Indian areas
- Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg, Aurora, Bloomington-Normal
How many Indians live in Illinois?
Exact numbers vary depending on ACS/Census definitions. Illinois is one of the major states for Indian-origin residents because of jobs, universities, family networks, and business communities. Illinois has a large, long-established Indian-origin population centered on Chicago.
Where Indians live in Illinois
The largest Indian communities in Illinois cluster around these cities and suburbs:
Why Indians move to Illinois
- IT, consulting, and finance jobs
- Healthcare and pharma employment
- Strong suburban schools (Naperville/Aurora)
- Established Indian businesses and temples
- Central-U.S. logistics and business base
Indian occupations in Illinois
IT, consulting, healthcare, finance, and a broad small-business base.
IT & software engineering
The single largest cluster — software, cloud, data/AI, and IT services.
Healthcare & medicine
Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare administrators.
Engineering
Semiconductors, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering.
Finance & accounting
Banking, analysis, accounting, and fintech roles.
Academia & research
University faculty, postdocs, and R&D scientists.
Small business & franchises
Hospitality, retail, franchises, and services — a deep entrepreneurial base.
Indian students in Illinois
UIUC, the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and UIC draw many Indian students, with UIUC a major engineering and CS feeder.
Student numbers use general patterns; check university and IIE Open Doors data for specific enrollment figures.
Visa and immigration patterns in Illinois
Balanced mix of citizens, green card holders, and H-1B workers. Common statuses include H-1B and other work visas, F-1 students on OPT/STEM OPT, green card holders (many in the India employment-based backlog), family-sponsored immigrants, and naturalized or U.S.-born citizens.
Indian communities by region in Illinois
Gujarati communities
Long-established business community.
Telugu communities
Growing tech and professional community.
Tamil communities
Engineering and academia families.
Punjabi communities
Historic presence around Devon Avenue.
Community patterns are based on visible cultural associations, business communities, migration history, and metro-level settlement patterns, not official Indian-state-of-origin Census counts. U.S. Census/ACS typically tracks ancestry, race, language spoken at home, and country of birth — not always Indian state of origin. This section describes common community patterns, not exact official counts.
Indian economic contribution in Illinois
Indian Americans in Illinois are active in IT, healthcare, finance, and small business, contributing significantly to the local economy — though exact tax contribution by state is not published as a simple official number.
High-skilled labor
Deep representation in technology, medicine, engineering, and finance — fields central to U.S. competitiveness.
Founders & executives
Indian Americans lead and found companies across tech and services, including several of the largest U.S. firms.
Small business ownership
A dense base of hospitality, retail, franchise, and service businesses that employ locally.
University ecosystems
Indian international students pay significant tuition and sustain graduate programs and campus economies.
Essential services
Physicians, nurses, and pharmacists deliver frontline care in communities across the country.
Tax & local spending
High household incomes suggest significant federal, state, and local tax contributions, plus homeownership and local spending — an inference, not an official figure.
Indian Population in Illinois — FAQ
How many Indians live in Illinois?
Exact numbers vary depending on ACS/Census definitions, so there is no single official count. Illinois has a large, long-established Indian-origin population centered on Chicago. — driven by jobs, universities, family networks, and business communities. Check the latest ACS tables for a specific figure.
Which city in Illinois has the most Indians?
The largest Indian communities in Illinois are concentrated around Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg, Aurora. These metros and suburbs have the densest Indian populations, businesses, temples, and cultural associations.
Where do most Indians live in Illinois?
Most Indians in Illinois live in and around Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg, Aurora, clustered near major job markets, universities, and established immigrant neighborhoods rather than spread evenly across the state.
Why do Indians move to Illinois?
Indians move to Illinois mainly for it, consulting, and finance jobs, healthcare and pharma employment, strong suburban schools (naperville/aurora), plus established community and family networks. Illinois has a large, long-established Indian-origin population centered on Chicago.
Are there many Indian students in Illinois?
Yes. UIUC, the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and UIC draw many Indian students, with UIUC a major engineering and CS feeder.
What jobs do Indians do in Illinois?
IT, consulting, healthcare, finance, and a broad small-business base. Indian Americans here are highly represented in professional and technical fields, plus small business and hospitality.
Which Indian communities are common in Illinois?
Illinois has visible Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi communities, among others. These patterns are based on cultural associations, business communities, and settlement history — not official Indian-state-of-origin Census counts.
Is the Indian population in Illinois growing?
Yes. Like the U.S. Indian-origin population overall — which grew about 174% from 2000 to 2023 — Illinois's Indian community has been growing, driven by work visas, students, and family immigration.
How does Illinois compare with the Indian population in USA?
Illinois has a large, long-established Indian-origin population centered on Chicago. Nationally, about 4.9 million people identify as Indian-origin. See the Indian population in USA pillar guide for the full state-by-state picture.
Sources & Methodology
Pew Research Center — Indian Americans fact sheet ↗
≈4.9M Indian-origin, a broader definition than the Census “Asian Indian alone” count (2021–2023 ACS/IPUMS).
U.S. Census Bureau — 2020 Census Asian population ↗
Asian Indian alone: 4,397,737; up 50%+ since 2010.
U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) ↗
Detailed race, ancestry, income, and geography tables.
Migration Policy Institute — Indian Immigrants in the U.S. ↗
≈3.2M Indian immigrants; one of the largest origin groups.
USCIS — H-1B data & characteristics reports ↗
Country-of-birth breakdown of H-1B approvals.
This page uses public demographic sources and rounded estimates. Definitions vary: Asian Indian alone, Indian alone or in combination, Indian-origin, Indian-born, Indian immigrant, and Indian American are not the same category. State and metro estimates should be checked against the latest ACS tables before citing as exact numbers. This page combines public demographic datasets and rounded estimates. Terms like Indian American, Asian Indian, Indian immigrant, Indian-born, Indian-origin, and 'Indian alone or in combination' can produce different totals, so figures are presented as estimates and ranges rather than exact counts. Always verify a specific number against the primary source before citing it.
Related guides
Written / reviewed by Deepak Middha · CA, Series 65
Last updated: July 5, 2026