Brookfield, Illinois
Brookfield (formerly Grossdale) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located west of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,476. The city is home to the Brookfield Zoo. Geography Brookfield is located at (41.822681, -87.847532). According to the 2010 census, Brookfield has a total area of , of which (or 99.77%) is land and (or 0.23%) is water. Most of Brookfield is flat land with various small hills and rises. Along Salt Creek is a steep ravine that is home to many oak savannas. These oak savannas are the primary ecosystem of Brookfield, and sprawl out from large, forested areas into small pockets in the village. Demographics As of the 2020 census there were 19,476 people, 6,988 households, and 4,692 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 7,785 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 70.82% White, 3.30% African American, 0.95% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 9.08% from other races, and 13.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.78% of the population. There were 6,988 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.05% were married couples living together, 9.65% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.86% were non-families. 26.09% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.23% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 2.63. The village's age distribution consisted of 26.3% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $84,891, and the median income for a family was $103,072. Males had a median income of $57,343 versus $47,355 for females. The per capita income for the village was $38,222. About 4.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. Government Nearly all of Brookfield is in Illinois's 3rd congressional district; the northernmost portion, a largely wooded area north of the zoo, is in the 4th district. History Before 1803, the area now called Brookfield was mostly covered by prairie grasses, forests, and farms. Large portions of the area were inhabited by the Native Americans who long ago developed agriculture and corn cultivation, built villages and burial mounds, invented the bow and arrow, and made beautiful