Brown County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Brown 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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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 74% of counties in Illinois
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 95% of counties in Illinois
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 93% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,321 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.6 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.97% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,041 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Brown County declined by 4.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,321 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Brown County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.6% of residents. That is 4.7 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,361 21.5% +0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,680 26.6% +4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,337 21.2% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 934 14.8% -2.1 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 36.5% of the people living in Brown County and men 63.5%.
- Women 36.5% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 63.5% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Brown County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Brown County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,449 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.34% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Brown County is about 19% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $17,499 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $697 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Brown County is about 2.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $697 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Brown County spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 106 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.7 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.5 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 106 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,288 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,541 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 472 | 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 Brown County is 13 minutes, shorter 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
Brown County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.5% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.15 | 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
Brown County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.1% | 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).
Brown County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Brown County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County, IL | 6,321 | $68,449 #1/3 | $17,499 #3/3 | 12.7 min #1/3 |
| Adams County, IL | 64,753 | $66,119 | $202,885 | 13.7 min |
| McDonough County, IL | 26,917 | $54,356 | $90,788 | 13.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Brown County, Illinois.
What is the population of Brown County, Illinois?
About 6,321 people live in Brown County, Illinois, in 2,041 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Brown County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Brown County, Illinois has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Brown County, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($17,499 against $68,449), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $697 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Brown County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Brown County, Illinois is only 3.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Brown County, Illinois have a college degree?
12.5% of adults in Brown County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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