Putnam County, IL

County

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2024 Population

5,601

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

47.4

0.424% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.09%

18.7% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$75,590

2.5% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$172,700

2.92% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,686

1.54% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Putnam 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.

99.8% of the residents in Putnam County, IL are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Putnam County, IL was $172,700, and the homeownership rate was 81.5%.

Most people in Putnam County, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Putnam County, IL was 2 cars per household.

Putnam County, IL borders Bureau County, IL, LaSalle County, IL, and Marshall County, IL.

United States Illinois Ottawa-Peru, IL

Population & Diversity

Putnam County, IL is home to a population of 5.6k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.8% of Putnam County, IL residents were born outside of the country (101 people).

In 2024, there were 32.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.96k people) in Putnam County, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 153 White (Hispanic) and 128 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2024 Citizenship

99.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.8% of Putnam County, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Putnam County, IL was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Putnam County, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.96k ± 67
White (Hispanic)
153 ± 41
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
128 ± 66

6.57%

Hispanic Population

368 people

6.57% of the people in Putnam County, IL are hispanic (368 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Putnam 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

1.8%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

101 people

1.59%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

89 people

As of 2024, 1.8% of Putnam County, IL residents (101 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 Putnam County, IL was 1.59%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
145 ± 49
Gulf War (2001-)
42 ± 26
Gulf War (1990s)
34 ± 29

Putnam County, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.45 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Putnam County, IL employs 2.69k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Putnam County, IL were Manufacturing (395 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (373 people), and Retail Trade (314 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($125,708), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($105,625), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($93,958).

Employment

Occupations

2.69k

2024 Value

± 225

−1.54%

1 Year decline

± 11.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Putnam County, IL declined at a rate of −1.54%, from 2.73k employees to 2.69k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Putnam County, IL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (365 people), Production Occupations (269 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (227 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Putnam 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

2.69k

2024 Value

± 225

−1.54%

1 Year decline

± 11.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Putnam County, IL declined at a rate of −1.54%, from 2.73k employees to 2.69k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Putnam County, IL, are Manufacturing (395 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (373 people), and Retail Trade (314 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Putnam County, IL, though some of these residents may live in Putnam County, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,768

Median earning men ± $5,844

$34,556

Median earning women ± $3,272

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($94,583), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($93,952), and Wholesale Trade ($92,933).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,355), Public Administration ($61,429), and Construction ($51,250).

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

23
Construction
8
Transportation and Warehousing
7
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$38.4k
Manufacturing
$16.6k
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$14.1k
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 Putnam 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Putnam County, IL was $172,700 in 2024, which is 0.519 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $167,800 to $172,700, a 2.92% increase. The homeownership rate in Putnam County, IL is 81.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Putnam County, IL have an average commute time of 28.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Putnam County, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 8.26% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Putnam County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.34%.

Housing

Property

$172,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,245

$2,008

Median Property Taxes

±$175

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

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

Rent vs Own

81.5%

Homeownership

2024

62.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 81.5% of the housing units in Putnam County, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 80.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Putnam 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.

$75,590

Median Household Income

± $4,927

2.47k

Number of Households

± 207

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.47k households in Putnam County, IL declined from $75,590 from the previous year's value of $77,526.

The following chart displays the households in Putnam 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Putnam 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 (87.3%)
Worked At Home (7.23%)
Carpooled (3.92%)

In 2024, 87.3% of workers in Putnam County, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.23%) and those who carpooled to work (3.92%).

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

28.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Putnam County, IL have a longer commute time (28.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.91% of the workforce in Putnam County, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 8.26% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Putnam County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.34%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.09% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Putnam County, IL (451 out of 5.58k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Putnam County, IL is White, followed by Hispanic 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, 12.7% of the children was living in poverty in Putnam County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.9%.

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 11.6 in Putnam County, IL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 63.2 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

97% of the population of Putnam County, IL has health coverage, with 52.5% on employee plans, 10.5% on Medicaid, 19.6% on Medicare, 13.2% on non-group plans, and 1.27% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Putnam County, IL see 5,566 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,566 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2786 patients per year, and mental health providers who see null patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.9% were men and 48.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

5,566 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Putnam County, IL

Primary care physicians in Putnam County, IL see an average of 5,566 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,566 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21% under 18 years, 15.9% between 18 and 34 years, 38.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.9% were men and 48.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.97%

Uninsured

52.5%

Employer Coverage

10.5%

Medicaid

19.6%

Medicare

13.2%

Non-Group

1.27%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Putnam County, IL declined by 2.94% from 3.06% to 2.97%.

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