Tinley Park, Illinois

19th century

Modern settlement of the area now known as Tinley Park began in the 1820s as emigrants from Europe and the eastern United States arrived. By the 1840s, a significant population of German Americans had established themselves in the region. In recognition of their prominence, the village was officially named Bremen when it was founded in 1853. Other early settler groups included Irish, English, Scottish, Canadian immigrants.^[6]

In the late 19th century, the expansion of the American railroad network had a transformative effect on the area. Bremen was situated along the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, which played a pivotal role in the community's development. In 1890, the village was renamed Tinley Park in honor of Samuel Tinley Sr., the first station agent of the local railroad depot. The village was formally incorporated on June 27, 1892, when local residents voted 34–24 in favor of incorporation.^[7] Henry Vogt was elected as Tinley Park’s first mayor.^[7]

20th century to present

The arrival of the railroad spurred industrial and commercial growth in Tinley Park. In 1905, the Diamond Spiral Washing Machine Company established its first factory in the village. Local businessmen established an electric utility in 1909. A cola bottling plant also operated in Tinley Park until the 1950s. During this period, inventor John Rauhoff developed ironite, a waterproofing additive for cement, later used in the construction of the Hoover Dam. The Tinley Park Public Library was constructed in 1956. In the latter half of the 20th century, Tinley Park experienced rapid suburban expansion, particularly to the west and south of the original village center. Between 1970 and 1994, more than 11,000 housing units were constructed.^[8]

After its centennial in 1992, Tinley Park has focused on the renovation of its historic downtown district, which encompasses the Village's original 1892 boundaries. In this district, landowners are encouraged to maintain the sites' historic edifices or to create new, but "historically-friendly", facades for otherwise modern buildings built in the last 30 years.^{[citation needed]} Downtown renovation projects have included the opening of a park near the Oak Park Avenue Metra train station, as well as the recent South Street Project, a multimillion-dollar project that will create more than 220 apartments and 40,000 square feet (4,000 m²) of commercial retail space.^{[citation needed]}

Since its opening in 1990, the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (originally World Music Theater, among other names) has been a major outdoor music venue in the Chicago area, accommodating around 28,000 people per event.^[9] The amphitheater, which has hosted numerous musicians and festivals over its 30+ years in operation, features an overhead-covered seated section with open sides, and a large, sloping grass lawn area at the back.^[10]

On February 2, 2008, a mass shooting occurred at Lane Bryant in Brookside Marketplace on the Will County side of the village. The store closed after the shooting. The shooter has never been caught.

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 55,971 people and 15,009 families residing in the village.^[17][18] The median age was 43.0 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.5 males age 18 and over.^[19]

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.^[20]

There were 22,006 households in Tinley Park, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.6% were married-couple households, 14.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[19]

The population density was 3,477.32 inhabitants per square mile (1,342.6/km²). There were 22,751 housing units at an average density of 1,413.46 per square mile (545.7/km²). Of all housing units, 3.3% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.^[19]

Income and poverty

The median income for a household in the village was $82,163, and the median income for a family was $103,902. Males had a median income of $61,179 versus $41,084 for females. The per capita income for the village was $40,955. About 4.2% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, there were 54,856 people, 22,058 households, and _ families residing in the village. The population density was 3,391.20 inhabitants per square mile (1,309.3/km²). There were 22,881 housing units at an average density of 1,414.50 per square mile (546.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 79.2% White (76.8% NH White), 6.7% African American, 0.0% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 7.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.6% of the population.

Demographic estimates

According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of December 31, 2025, in Tinley Park is $315,468.^[21]

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 22,058 estimated households in Tinley Park with an average of 2.49 persons per household. The village has a median household income of $103,819. Approximately 5.2% of the village's population lives at or below the poverty line. Tinley Park has an estimated 62.8% employment rate, with 38.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 96.1% holding a high school diploma.^[22] There were 22,881 housing units at an average density of 1,414.50 per square mile (546.1/km²).

The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (84.4%), Spanish (4.4%), Indo-European (4.1%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.8%), and Other (5.2%).

The median age in the village was 42.3 years.