McDonough County, IL

County

2024 Population

26,920

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

34.9

0.57% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

17.2%

13.6% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$52,795

4.68% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$107,500

Population & Diversity

McDonough County, IL is home to a population of 26.9k people, from which 98.3% are citizens.

As of 2024, 2.65% of McDonough County, IL residents were born outside of the country (714 people).

In 2024, there were 15.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (22.9k people) in McDonough County, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.52k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 600 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.3%

2024 Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.3% of McDonough County, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in McDonough County, IL was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in McDonough County, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in McDonough County, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
22.9k ± 177
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.52k ± 94
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
600 ± 178

3.51%

Hispanic Population

944 people

3.51% of the people in McDonough County, IL are hispanic (944 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in McDonough County, IL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Illinois.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
637,284 ± 19,101 people
India
166,788 ± 9,961 people
Poland
117,148 ± 8,364 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 637,284 Illinois residents, followed by India with 166,788 and Poland with 117,148.

Foreign-Born Population

2.65%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

714 people

2.98%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

807 people

As of 2024, 2.65% of McDonough County, IL residents (714 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in McDonough County, IL was 2.98%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in McDonough County, IL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
367 ± 98
Gulf War (2001-)
253 ± 94
Gulf War (1990s)
185 ± 67

McDonough County, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.45 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in McDonough County, IL.

Health

92.6% of the population of McDonough County, IL has health coverage, with 48% on employee plans, 16.7% on Medicaid, 14.1% on Medicare, 12.8% on non-group plans, and 1.07% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in McDonough County, IL see 1,916 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,916 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2985 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 447 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,916 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in McDonough County, IL

Primary care physicians in McDonough County, IL see an average of 1,916 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,916 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in McDonough County, IL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Location of Health Services Facilities

Health Service Type

Health Practice Name

Top 5 Health Facilities Servicing the Greatest Number of Addresses

12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4001

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.9% under 18 years, 29.8% between 18 and 34 years, 30.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.37%

Uninsured

48%

Employer Coverage

16.7%

Medicaid

14.1%

Medicare

12.8%

Non-Group

1.07%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in McDonough County, IL grew by 14.1% from 6.46% to 7.37%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in McDonough County, IL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.72 in McDonough County, IL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in McDonough County, IL.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.3% in McDonough County, IL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in McDonough County, IL.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 5.98% in McDonough County, IL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in McDonough County, IL.

Economy

The economy of McDonough County, IL employs 13k people. In 2024, the largest industries in McDonough County, IL were Retail Trade (1,830 people), Educational Services (1,808 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,713 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($133,250), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($80,625), and Wholesale Trade ($66,364).

Employment

Occupations

13k

2024 Value

± 776

−0.1%

1 Year decline

± 8.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in McDonough County, IL declined at a rate of −0.1%, from 13k employees to 13k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in McDonough County, IL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,373 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,307 people), and Production Occupations (1,261 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of McDonough County, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

13k

2024 Value

± 776

−0.1%

1 Year decline

± 8.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in McDonough County, IL declined at a rate of −0.1%, from 13k employees to 13k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in McDonough County, IL, are Retail Trade (1,830 people), Educational Services (1,808 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,713 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of McDonough County, IL, though some of these residents may live in McDonough County, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,185

Median earning men ± $3,395

$29,713

Median earning women ± $2,754

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($100,644), Wholesale Trade ($67,500), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($54,868).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($97,847), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($49,800), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,295).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Y-Axis

2.47%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Illinois.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

70
Other Services (except Public Administration)
35
Retail Trade
28
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$102k
Manufacturing
$81.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$40.2k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

The student population of McDonough County, IL in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,569 male students and 3,763 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in McDonough County, IL are White (1,043 and 68.8%), Black or African American (190 and 12.5%), Hispanic or Latino (186 and 12.3%), and Two or More Races (39 and 2.57%).

The largest universities in McDonough County, IL by number of degrees awarded are Western Illinois University (1,984 and 100%).

The most popular majors in McDonough County, IL are General Computer & Information Sciences (230 and 11.6%), Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration (201 and 10.1%), and Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (134 and 6.75%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $9,662 for in-state students and $9,662 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in McDonough County, IL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 71.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 10.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 6,332 (40.6% men and 59.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 6,332 students enrolled in McDonough County, IL, 40.6% men and 59.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,615 records, of which 60.9% were women and 39.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration
166 degrees awarded
Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
134 degrees awarded
General Psychology
76 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in McDonough County, IL was Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration with 166 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in McDonough County, IL according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Western Illinois University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,984 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Western Illinois University with 1,984 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 905 men were awarded degrees from institutions in McDonough County, IL, which is 0.839 times less than the 1,079 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,043 degrees mean that there were 5.49 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 190 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($9,662) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($4,910) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in McDonough County, IL was $107,500 in 2024, which is 0.323 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $103,500 to $107,500, a 3.86% increase. The homeownership rate in McDonough County, IL is 63.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in McDonough County, IL have an average commute time of 18.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in McDonough County, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 18.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in McDonough County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.2%.

Housing

Property

$107,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,960

$7,523

Median Property Taxes

±$464

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In McDonough County, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in McDonough County, IL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

63.5%

Homeownership

2024

61.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.5% of the housing units in McDonough County, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in McDonough County, IL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,795

Median Household Income

± $2,946

11.9k

Number of Households

± 724

In 2024, the median household income of the 11.9k households in McDonough County, IL grew to $52,795 from the previous year's value of $50,434.

The following chart displays the households in McDonough County, IL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for McDonough County, IL is from Illinois.

0.471

2024 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.474

2023 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2024, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.471 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.55% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Illinois across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76.8%)
Carpooled (9.53%)
Worked At Home (6.87%)

In 2024, 76.8% of workers in McDonough County, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.53%) and those who worked at home (6.87%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

18.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in McDonough County, IL have a shorter commute time (18.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.56% of the workforce in McDonough County, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in McDonough County, IL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in McDonough County, IL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in McDonough County, IL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 18.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in McDonough County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

17.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in McDonough County, IL (4.19k out of 24.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in McDonough County, IL is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 21.2% of the children was living in poverty in McDonough County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 257 in McDonough County, IL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 95.1% per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Keep Exploring