Cook County, Illinois
|
|
Organized with approximately 100 residents in 1831, Cook County is a county located in the state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population is 5,376,741, making it the second largest county by population in the U.S (after Los Angeles County, California). The county seat is Chicago, the principal city of its metropolitan area, Chicagoland; Chicago makes up about 54% of the population of the county, the rest being provided by various suburbs. Cook County is the 19th largest government in the United States. Cook County has by far more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county and is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States.
| Contents |
History
Cook County was created on January 15, 1831 by an act of the Illinois State Legislature. It was the 54th county established in Illinois and was named after Daniel Pope Cook, one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history who served as the first U.S. representative from Illinois and the first Attorney General of the State of Illinois.
As mandated by State law, Cook County government has principal responsibility for the protection of persons and property, the provision for public health services and the maintenance of County highways.
The obligation to protect persons and property, commonly called public safety, is fulfilled by the provision of County judicial and law enforcement services: the Circuit Court of Cook County, which is the largest unified court system in the world - disposing over 6 million cases in 1990 alone, the Cook County Department of Corrections, which is the largest single-site jail in the nation and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation, are solely the responsibility of Cook County government. The Cook County Law Library is the second largest County law library in the nation.
The obligation to provide public health services is fulfilled by the provision of comprehensive medical services to the citizens of the County, regardless of their ability to pay. The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the second largest public health system in the nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Provident Hospital and Oak Forest Hospital, along with over 30 outpatient clinics.
The Forest Preserve District, organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners. The District is a belt of 68,000 acres (275 km²) of forest reservations surrounding the City of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,235 km2 (1,635 mi2). 2,449 km2 (946 mi2) of it is land and 1,785 km2 (689 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 42.16% water
Demographics
Results2004_lg.jpg
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 5,376,741 people, 1,974,181 households, and 1,269,398 families residing in the county. The population density is 2,195/km2 (5,686/mi2). There are 2,096,121 housing units at an average density of 856/km2 (2,216/mi2). The racial makeup of the county is 56.27% White, 26.14% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 4.84% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 9.88% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 19.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,974,181 households out of which 30.90% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.00% are married couples living together, 15.60% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.70% are non-families. 29.40% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.30% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.38.
In the county the population is spread out with 26.00% under the age of 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 20.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $45,922, and the median income for a family is $53,784. Males have a median income of $40,690 versus $31,298 for females. The per capita income for the county is $23,227. 13.50% of the population and 10.60% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.90% of those under the age of 18 and 10.30% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns
External links
- Cook County Website (http://www.cookcountygov.com)
- Cook County Assessor (http://www.cookcountyassessor.com)
- Cook County Board of Review (http://www.cookcountyboardofreview.com)
- Circuit Court of Cook County (http://www.cookcountycourt.org)
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org)
- Clerk of Cook County (http://www.cookctyclerk.com)
- Cook County Recorder of Deeds (http://www.ccrd.info)
- Cook County Sheriff (http://www.cookcountysheriff.org)
- Cook County State's Attorney (http://www.statesattorney.org)
- Cook County Treasurer (http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com)
- Forest Preserve District of Cook County (http://www.fpdcc.com)
