Alexander County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Alexander County, IL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLeast healthy county in Illinois
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D
Income Well below averageLeast wealthy county in Illinois
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Alexander County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,873 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.3 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -4.50% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,903 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Alexander County declined by 41.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,873 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Alexander County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.6% of residents. That is 1.2 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 885 18.2% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 853 17.5% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,052 21.6% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,039 21.3% +4.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Illinois, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.0% of the people living in Alexander County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.0% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Alexander County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Alexander County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Alexander County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,250 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.71% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Alexander County is about 43% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Alexander County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $16,926 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $655 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.6% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Alexander County is about 2.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $655 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Alexander County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 217 hours, about 9.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Alexander County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.0 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 217 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,721 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,647 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 686 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Illinois:
Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Alexander County is 26 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Alexander County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Alexander County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.5% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.4), Champaign County (0.4), Lake County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hardin County (0.2), Fayette County (0.2), Perry County (0.2).
Health
Alexander County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Alexander County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.9% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.8% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.8), Champaign County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8).
Lowest:
Alexander County (0.8), Pulaski County (0.8), Gallatin County (0.8).
Alexander County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Alexander County, IL compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander County, IL | 4,873 | $48,250 #2/2 | $16,926 #2/2 | 26.0 min #2/2 |
| Scott County, MO | 37,932 | $61,714 | $179,554 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Alexander County, Illinois.
How many people live in Alexander County, Illinois?
About 4,873 people live in Alexander County, Illinois, in 1,903 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 46.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Alexander County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Alexander County, Illinois has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 22% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Alexander County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($16,926 against $48,250), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $655 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Alexander County, Illinois?
9.5% of adults in Alexander County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 11), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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