OBJECTIVES: In this study we performed hypertension gap analysis for the residents of Lake county, IL based on the hospital discharge data collected between 2001- 2009. METHODS: The hospital discharge data between 2001-2009 for primary diagnosis of HTN was analyzed. All patients (<4 yr. to > 85yr ) were categorized in 10 age groups and comparative analysis were performed. Cases for essential hypertension were identified  using ICD-9 codes . RESULTS: N= 827,355 discharge records were screened. Overall there were N=1959 cases ( malignant= 393; benign=17 and non-specific = 1549 ) with the primary diagnosis of hypertension reflecting a crude rate of 0.236 %.  consistent with a previous report by the state of IL in 2004. There were N=1249 female and N=710 male cases , The age-adjusted rate per 100,000 patients was 196.85 +/- 7.37 for  females (crude rate of 248.77) and 236.41 +/- 10.92 cases in men ( crude rate of 218.27).  For majority of patients the length of stay were either 1 day (n=744), 2 days (n=567) or 3 days (n=318) which is comparable to IL data - an average of 2.6 days. Analysis of data based on residential zip codes indicates 3 suburbs with a high percentage of Hispanics and blacks with the highest reported cases( Waukegan= 243 cases , Zion= 102 cases, North Chicago=99 cases). Waukegan has greater than 50%  hispanics ( 70% Mexican heritage). The overall age-adjusted HTN rate in Waukegan was 279.2 +/- 19.11 cases per 100,000 which is significantly greater than the average calculated rate for either males or females in the lake county [OR females=1.42  (.64-.81), P<.0001; ORmales=1.18  (.73-.98), P=0.022] CONCLUSIONS: This data suggest a significantly higher rate of age adjusted discharge rate for HTN in parts of Lake county, IL, USA that have a high % of Hispanic and black population.