Jackson County, IL

County

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2024 Population

53,064

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

32.4

1.52% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

21%

3.9% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$48,763

7% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$137,300

9.84% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

23,090

0.195% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Jackson County, IL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.2% of the residents in Jackson County, IL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Jackson County, IL are Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (2,993 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Jackson County, IL was $137,300, and the homeownership rate was 50%.

Most people in Jackson County, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Jackson County, IL was 2 cars per household.

Jackson County, IL borders Franklin County, IL, Perry County, IL, Randolph County, IL, Union County, IL, Williamson County, IL, and Perry County, MO.

United States Illinois Carbondale-Marion, IL

Population & Diversity

Jackson County, IL is home to a population of 53.1k people, from which 96.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.68% of Jackson County, IL residents were born outside of the country (3.01k people).

In 2024, there were 5.12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (37.8k people) in Jackson County, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.39k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.25k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.2%

2024 Citizenship

96.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.2% of Jackson County, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Jackson County, IL was 96.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Jackson County, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
37.8k ± 350
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.39k ± 325
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.25k ± 362

5.3%

Hispanic Population

2.81k people

5.3% of the people in Jackson County, IL are hispanic (2.81k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Jackson 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
633,244 ± 19,044 people
India
161,770 ± 9,812 people
Poland
119,556 ± 8,449 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 633,244 Illinois residents, followed by India with 161,770 and Poland with 119,556.

Foreign-Born Population

5.68%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.01k people

5.75%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3.03k people

As of 2024, 5.68% of Jackson County, IL residents (3.01k 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 Jackson County, IL was 5.75%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
671 ± 141
Gulf War (2001-)
589 ± 154
Gulf War (1990s)
280 ± 97

Jackson County, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Jackson County, IL employs 23.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Jackson County, IL were Educational Services (4,314 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,812 people), and Retail Trade (3,159 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($84,362), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($71,583), and Finance & Insurance ($67,045).

Employment

Occupations

23.1k

2024 Value

± 1,202

0.195%

1 Year growth

± 7.11%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jackson County, IL grew at a rate of 0.195%, from 23k employees to 23.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Jackson County, IL, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,876 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,479 people), and Management Occupations (2,285 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Jackson 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

23.1k

2024 Value

± 1,202

0.195%

1 Year growth

± 7.11%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Jackson County, IL grew at a rate of 0.195%, from 23k employees to 23.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Jackson County, IL, are Educational Services (4,314 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,812 people), and Retail Trade (3,159 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Jackson County, IL, though some of these residents may live in Jackson County, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,880

Median earning men ± $2,439

$33,580

Median earning women ± $2,406

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($82,577), Public Administration ($69,000), and Wholesale Trade ($57,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($49,808), Public Administration ($47,813), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,926).

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

99
Other Services (except Public Administration)
67
Health Care and Social Assistance
54
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

$249k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$81.2k
Retail Trade
$64.1k
Construction

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Jackson County, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.5%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.43%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Illinois for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Illinois.

Dick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Tammy Duckworth

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Jackson County, IL awarded 2,993 degrees. The student population of Jackson County, IL in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 5,467 male students and 5,892 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Jackson County, IL are White (2,056 and 74.1%), Black or African American (298 and 10.7%), Hispanic or Latino (254 and 9.16%), and Asian (86 and 3.1%).

The largest universities in Jackson County, IL by number of degrees awarded are Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (2,993 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Jackson County, IL are Airway Management & Operations (127 and 4.24%), Radiation Therapist (121 and 4.04%), and Health Care Administration & Management (104 and 3.47%).

The median tuition cost in Jackson County, IL for a public four year colleges is $9,638 for in-state students and $9,638 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Jackson County, IL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 90.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 11,359 (48.1% men and 51.9% 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 2023 there were 11,359 students enrolled in Jackson County, IL, 48.1% men and 51.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7,152 records, of which 52.2% were women and 47.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Airway Management & Operations
127 degrees awarded
Automotive Engineering Technology
89 degrees awarded
Trade & Industrial Teacher Education
80 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Jackson County, IL was Airway Management & Operations with 127 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

2,993 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with 2,993 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,473 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Jackson County, IL, which is 0.969 times less than the 1,520 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,056 degrees mean that there were 6.9 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 298 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 ($9,638) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,606) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,100) 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 Jackson County, IL was $137,300 in 2024, which is 0.413 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $125,000 to $137,300, a 9.84% increase. The homeownership rate in Jackson County, IL is 50%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Jackson County, IL have an average commute time of 20.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Jackson County, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 19.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jackson County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.089%.

Housing

Property

$137,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,859

$11,474

Median Property Taxes

±$583

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 Jackson County, IL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

50%

Homeownership

2024

63.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 50% of the housing units in Jackson County, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 49.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Jackson 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.

$48,763

Median Household Income

± $3,394

23k

Number of Households

± 1,106

In 2024, the median household income of the 23k households in Jackson County, IL grew to $48,763 from the previous year's value of $45,572.

The following chart displays the households in Jackson 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.474

2023 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2023, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.554% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 (72.5%)
Worked At Home (10.8%)
Carpooled (8.56%)

In 2024, 72.5% of workers in Jackson County, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.8%) and those who carpooled to work (8.56%).

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

20.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Jackson County, IL have a shorter commute time (20.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.17% of the workforce in Jackson County, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Jackson 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 Jackson County, IL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Jackson County, IL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Jackson County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.089%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

21% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Jackson County, IL (10.3k out of 49.1k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Jackson County, IL is White, followed by Black and Asian.

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, 22.8% of the children was living in poverty in Jackson County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.2%.

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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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 419 in Jackson County, IL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 132 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.7% of the population of Jackson County, IL has health coverage, with 38.8% on employee plans, 23.7% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 18% on non-group plans, and 1.5% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Jackson County, IL see 618 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (618 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1096 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 212 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

618 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Jackson County, IL

Primary care physicians in Jackson County, IL see an average of 618 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (618 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.8% under 18 years, 31.8% between 18 and 34 years, 30.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.31%

Uninsured

38.8%

Employer Coverage

23.7%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

18%

Non-Group

1.5%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Jackson County, IL declined by 7.21% from 6.8% to 6.31%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Jackson 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 number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 65.5 in Jackson County, IL.

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

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