Insights on Chicago Parent Audience and Reach in Chicagoland

Chicago Parent has been a cornerstone for Chicago-area families since 1984, providing resources and guidance on fun and serious topics. It’s also helped parents discover Windy City businesses that can support them, too.

Who are these parents, though, who are going to ChicagoParent.com, getting our emails and visiting our social media channels? If you’re exploring opportunities to reach families in Chicago, getting to know Chicago Parent’s audience dynamics is a sound starting place.

You’ll find a solid overview here thanks to Katina Beniaris, Chicago Parent’s audience development manager. It’s also personal for Beniaris, who’s been with Chicago Parent — sister company to Zoe Marketing & Communications — since 2017.

“In the ’90s, my mom used Chicago Parent to help find the best things to do in the area for my sister and me,” she shares. “I love how timeless it is and how it's still helping parents today.”

In this blog, we’ll share:

• Chicago Parent’s audience demographics
• Reach and engagement of Chicago Parent
• Issues Chicago Parent readers care about
• What Chicago Parent readers say

Discover the types of caregivers that Chicago Parent connects you to in 2024, including what matters most to them. And, from there, start considering your next marketing steps.

Chicago Parent’s audience demographics

Across all channels, Chicago Parent’s audience is mostly female (90%) within the age range of 25-54 (83%), with 94% college-educated and 63% homeowners. This data is critical and guides how we create content to help them.

Most Chicago Parent readers have kids ages 2-10, as our 2024 survey found. In more detail:

• 46% have kids ages 6-10, which guides content focusing on school and fun activities
• 38% have kids ages 2-5, driving resources and support for early childhood development
• 21% have kids ages 11-15, a key group for adolescence topics and middle school stories
• 21% have kids ages 16+, and they’re eager for college- and career-prep content

Chicago Parent’s core audience lives in both the city of Chicago and its Chicago suburbs.

Reach and engagement of Chicago Parent

Parents are busy and need key details fast. Chicago Parent’s content, delivered on four key platforms, is designed to help them quickly. In total, it reaches an audience of more than 609K each month through its:

• Website: ChicagoParent.com attracts over 309K average monthly users. Beyond the city proper, top Chicagoland cities include Naperville, Wheaton, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg and Aurora. 49% visit the site at least once a week.
• Social Media: Chicago Parent has over 170K followers across Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter). Weekend events, community highlights and education are popular posts.
• Email: Chicago Parent emails reach more than 125K people. This includes weekly “Pulse” (top stories) and personalized “Let’s Go” (best things to do) newsletters, plus even more targeted subscriber emails.
• Magazine: Chicago Parent’s quarterly digital-only magazines reach 5K readers each month. Each issue curates the best of our website content.

Issues Chicago Parent readers care about

Caring about parents’ and caregivers’ top wants guides the work Chicago Parent does, Beniaris says. And their desire for things to do and school support have been major themes.

“As a lifelong Chicagoan, I love spotlighting neighborhoods and suburbs — from big-city attractions to mom-and-pop indoor play spaces,” she says.

“Our team works hard to provide useful and digestible information, whether it’s things to do with kids on a rainy day or the latest on new education laws in Illinois.”

Chicago Parent’s recent 2024 survey highlights these top-ranking interests:

• Local attractions and activities: 82%
• Family events: 80%
• Contests and giveaways: 54%
• Education: 49%
• Parenting advice: 47%

Given the high demand for activities and education support, Chicago Parent is increasing its local event and school coverage with videos and reels showcasing top choices and insights.

What Chicago Parent readers say

Listening carefully to readers’ feelings also shapes our approach — and illustrates the trust people have in Chicago. Here are some comments that show that connection:

• Go-to for fun: Lindsay, the blogger behind “Make it Fun Mom,” says, “It’s one of my favorite publications with fun ideas for families around Chicagoland.” This fellow influencer seeks out Chicago Parent for her content, too.
• Longevity: Katherine of Alsip says, “I have been reading Chicago Parent for years. Now I have my first granddaughter, who is 2 years old. Always an adventure and always looking for fun activities!" Her words highlight a multigenerational appeal.
• Practicality: Christine of Chicago, whose kids are between the ages of 11-15, says, “I just love the ideas that you come up with for the weekends. They’re always more doable than some of the other local resources.”
• Locality: Matt, a dad in Evanston, says, “There are a number of parenting resources in the world, but it’s nice to have one that is specific to our area, to the businesses that we pass, to our geography, to the things that we want.”
• Connectivity: Lori, a mom in Chicago, says, “Even when I’m struggling, Chicago Parent really makes me feel like I’m part of a larger group of moms, and it helps me see that not everyone is perfect, and that’s OK.”

This feedback underscores why Chicago Parent matters to people in the region, as well as its important place in their lives (in some cases, over the course of generations).

Next steps for marketing with Chicago Parent

Chicago Parent helps family-geared businesses support parents and caregivers all over Chicagoland. You’ve now gained a holistic picture of this engaged audience; specifically, who they are, what they prioritize, and how they feel about Chicago Parent.

If you’re looking to reach the Chicago Parent audience, talk to us. We can help you tailor a marketing plan that resonates with digital marketing, social media, emails and more. And to discover more about how marketing works with Chicago Parent and sister company Zoe, read:

• Comparing Zoe Marketing and Chicago Parent (including marketing tactics)
• Typical digital marketing costs for 6 months with Zoe Marketing & Communications