Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952.[2] The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. While Rosemont's land area and population are relatively small among municipalities in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, the village is a major center for commercial activity in the region and is a key component of the Golden Corridor. It contains the Allstate Arena, which hosts the Chicago Wolves AHL hockey team. Since its founding, the village has been governed by one family, and has been described as America's "last true political machine".[3]
As of the 2020 census[7] there were 3,952 people, 1,597 households, and 1,016 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,205.36 inhabitants per square mile (851.49/km2). There were 1,810 housing units at an average density of 1,010.04 per square mile (389.98/km2). The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial categories) of the village was 56.05% White, 2.76% African American, 2.10% Native American, 5.29% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 20.57% from other races, and 13.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.50% of the population.
There were 1,597 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.40% were married couples living together, 6.45% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.38% were non-families. 33.81% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38 and the average family size was 2.61.
The village's age distribution consisted of 19.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $56,432, and the median income for a family was $70,909. Males had a median income of $36,504 versus $27,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,034. About 11.6% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.
Rosemont, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition 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 may be of any race.
Rosemont is positioned directly east of O'Hare International Airport and directly northwest of the City of Chicago. Due to its location, much of the village is occupied by a large highway interchange, hotels, and office buildings. Several major hotel chains operating in the United States have a presence in Rosemont.[11]
Since the village of Rosemont was incorporated in 1956, one family, the Stephens family, has governed it. Brad Stephens is the current mayor of Rosemont, succeeding his father (who was mayor from 1956) in 2007.[22] In 2017, village trustees voted to increase his salary by 53 percent to $260,000, making him one of the highest paid mayors in the United States.[22]
In the early 2020s, at least four other members of the Stephens family held highly paid managerial positions in city institutions such as the convention center, parks, and public safety.[3] The mayor's nephew, Christopher Stephens, runs the village-run convention center and made $255,600 per year between 2015 and 2018.[22] Mark Stephens, the mayor's brother, owns a private company called Bomark which holds a $4.5 million annual contract to handle parking and other public functions. The mayor's sister and other associates have also received public contracts.[3] In a 2023 article,The Economist described the village as "the last true political machine in America" and likened it to autocratic states like Gabon.[3] The family maintain their own political party, the Rosemont Voters League.[3]
In July 2019, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the FBI was investigating Rosemont. The Sun-Times reported that the FBI were investigating possible wrongdoing in the city's public safety department, including allegations that members of the department had illegally consumed and distributed illegal narcoticpainkillers. The Sun-Times also reported that the FBI were looking at a contract awarded for Monterry Security Consultants, Inc. (a politically connected security company) to oversee security at public venues (including Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre, and the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center).[23]
Village presidents
The following is a list of the village presidents (mayors) of Rosemont:
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