Demographics of McDonough County, Illinois

McDonough County, Illinois had 25,916 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −1,212 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

McDonough County, in four figures

25,916
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −4.5%
Change since July 2020: −1,212 people.; 34.9 ±0.6
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $52,795 ±$2,946
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

McDonough County, Illinois's population shrank 4.5% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of McDonough County, Illinois's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

McDonough County, Illinois's population shrank 4.5% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of McDonough County, Illinois's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	27,128	100.0	100.0
2021	27,122	100.0	100.2
2022	26,777	98.7	100.7
2023	26,804	98.8	101.6
2024	26,115	96.3	102.5
2025	25,916	95.5	103.1

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Population of McDonough County, Illinois on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	27,128	−126	−28	0	−90
2021	27,122	−6	−91	+12	+50
2022	26,777	−345	−90	+43	−318
2023	26,804	+27	−63	+41	+56
2024	26,115	−689	−96	+50	−655
2025	25,916	−199	−106	+38	−130

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 34.9 ±0.6: for men 33.6 ±0.6 and for women 35.7 ±0.5. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in McDonough County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Illinois	United States
Under 5	1,327 ±112	4.9% ±0.4	5.4% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	3,523 ±219	13.1% ±0.8	16.4% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	5,594 ±435	20.8% ±1.6	9.1% ±<0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	5,868 ±266	21.8% ±1.0	26.9% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	5,409 ±292	20.1% ±1.1	25.2% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	5,199 ±328	19.3% ±1.2	17.0% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $52,795 ±$2,946, and income per person $32,219 ±$1,751, in 2024 dollars. The median is $83,390 ±$362 in Illinois and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in McDonough County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Illinois	United States
Under $25,000	2,980 ±413	25.1% ±3.4	14.6% ±0.1	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	2,524 ±349	21.3% ±2.9	16.0% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	2,338 ±315	19.7% ±2.6	14.8% ±0.1	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	1,221 ±178	10.3% ±1.5	12.6% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	1,614 ±229	13.6% ±1.9	18.0% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	646 ±151	5.4% ±1.3	10.1% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	533 ±159	4.5% ±1.3	13.8% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in McDonough County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Illinois	United States
All ages	4,194 ±500	17.2% ±2.1	11.8% ±0.1	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	649 ±160	13.5% ±3.2	15.1% ±0.2	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	2,939 ±389	22.3% ±2.8	11.0% ±0.1	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	606 ±144	9.4% ±2.2	10.6% ±0.1	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in McDonough County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	McDonough County	Illinois	United States
Housing units	13,587 ±47	5,457,452 ±471	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	87.3% ±2.3	92.3% ±0.1	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	12.7% ±2.4	7.7% ±0.1	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	63.5% ±2.4	67.1% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	36.5% ±3.2	32.9% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$107,500 ±$6,960	$263,300 ±$797	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$761 ±$42	$1,274 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1965 ±3	1971 ±2	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in McDonough County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Illinois	United States
Hispanic or Latino	944 ±0	3.5% ±<0.1	18.8% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	22,930 ±177	85.2% ±0.7	58.1% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	1,520 ±94	5.6% ±0.3	13.3% ±<0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	561 ±141	2.1% ±0.5	5.9% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 17	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 54	0% to 0.2%	< 0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 210	0% to 0.8%	0.4% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	831 ±244	3.1% ±0.9	3.4% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in McDonough County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Illinois	United States
Born in the state	20,304 ±570	75.4% ±2.1	66.5% ±0.1	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	5,690 ±583	21.1% ±2.2	17.5% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	70 to 354	0.3% to 1.3%	1.3% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	714 ±164	2.7% ±0.6	14.7% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	251 ±84	0.9% ±0.3	7.7% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	463 ±161	1.7% ±0.6	7.0% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

McDonough County among the counties of Illinois

51st of 102 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Illinois page.

Counties of Illinois near McDonough County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Bureau County	32,510	−2.1%
Randolph County	29,921	−0.6%
Montgomery County	28,076	−0.6%
Logan County	27,182	−2.5%
Iroquois County	26,150	−3.0%
McDonough County	25,916	−4.5%
Saline County	22,772	−4.1%
Jo Daviess County	21,594	−2.2%
Jersey County	21,160	−1.5%
Fayette County	20,790	−3.2%
Shelby County	20,576	−1.6%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026