Bars and taverns in Illinois: 3,132 locations, +0.2% jobs
Official counts for bars and taverns in Illinois, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how Illinois compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
Illinois against the country · 2026 Q1
| Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Bars and taverns with employees | 3,132 | 41,912 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 24.6 | 12.3 |
| Jobs | 26,402 | 395,676 |
| Jobs, year over year | +0.2% | -2.0% |
| Locations, year over year | +1.6% | -0.6% |
| Average weekly wage | $477 | $515 |
| Rank among states, density | 8 of 49 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 9 of 49 |
What the numbers say
Illinois has 3,132 bars and taverns with payroll, employing 26,402 people. At 24.6 per 100,000 residents the market is denser than the country as a whole, number 8 among the 49 states with published data. Jobs grew +0.2% over the year, ahead of the national -2.0%.
Average pay at bars and taverns in Illinois is $477 a week, 7% below the national figure of $515. Budget labor from this number, not from a national guide.
Over five years, from 2021 to 2025, the number of bars and taverns in Illinois moved +0.8%, from 3,081 to 3,106.
Bars and taverns in Illinois, annual average
- 20213,081
- 20223,084
- 20233,128
- 20243,149
- 20253,106
Jobs at bars and taverns in Illinois
- 202121,800
- 202225,759
- 202327,073
- 202427,203
- 202526,710
What counts as "bars and taverns" here
Drinking places that serve alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption: bars, taverns, pubs, nightclubs and cocktail lounges. Food may be served but drinks are the main line. The code is NAICS 722410. BLS counts establishments that report payroll, so a one-person business with no employees is not in these figures; in trades with many solo operators the true number of businesses is higher.
Before you open one in Illinois
A statewide figure tells you which way the wind blows. It does not tell you whether the corner you are looking at has the households, the income and the gap in competition to support one more. A counts the bars and taverns within reach of one address in Illinois, reads the county trend from the same BLS table, and scores the plan. The saturation check does a city-level version for free.
Questions people ask
How many bars and taverns are there in Illinois?
BLS counted 3,132 bars and taverns with employees in Illinois in 2026 Q1, employing 26,402 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 24.6 per 100,000 residents, against 12.3 nationally.
Are bars and taverns growing in Illinois?
Yes. Jobs at bars and taverns in Illinois changed +0.2% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed +1.6%. That ranks Illinois 9 of 49 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved +0.8%.
Is Illinois a crowded market for bars and taverns?
Illinois has 24.6 bars and taverns per 100,000 residents, denser than the country as a whole, ranking 8 of 49 states. Density is a statewide average; a Neur report counts the competitors around one address.
Bars and taverns in every state
Densest first. The number is bars and taverns per 100,000 residents in 2026 Q1.
Other business types in Illinois
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 722410, 2026 Q1 (quarterly) and annual averages (five-year series); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year population estimates. This page is generated from those feeds and rewritten when a new quarter publishes. All 14 business types in Illinois · Growth ranking for Illinois · Bars and taverns by state