Brown County, Illinois Income Statistics
Brown County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Brown County Well below averageLess wealthy than 95% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $68,449 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $48,217 | $64,565 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.3% | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.8% | 15.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.4% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Brown County is about 19% lower than in Illinois. Income has been growing slower in Brown County (3.3%/yr) than in Illinois (4.5%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Brown County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Illinois average of 15%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Brown County, Illinois grew by 99.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $68,449 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.3% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Brown County
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.648 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $54,578 | $73,933 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $46,465 | $60,067 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 14.9% | 18.8% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Brown County, it is 0.648, higher than Illinois's 0.547, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 17% more than women's income in Brown County, Illinois. Over a 35-year career, a 17% wage gap accumulates to roughly $283,955 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Brown County, Illinois has widened from about 10% to 15% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2017, and was narrowest at 7% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,735 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Brown County widened by 4.7 points while Illinois's narrowed by 6.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 7.3% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 12 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 69 people are unemployed in Brown County, Illinois.
The average commute time in Brown County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Illinois.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Brown County, Illinois has fallen from 7.2% to 3.1% in 2024. Over that period the rate fell as low as 1.5% in 2021.
Brown County, IL Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Brown County, IL is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 6,321 residents against a local median of 14,468. The measure that sets Brown County, IL apart most is income inequality: 0.648, 23% above the local median of 0.527. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 3.1% against a local median of 3.9%, 22% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income inequality runs behind it, so Brown County, IL is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 0.050 of each other on income inequality, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Brown County, IL, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Brown County, IL has the 6th lowest income inequality of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County, IL | 6,321 | $68,449 #1/6 | 3.3%/yr #6/6 | 3.1% #2/6 | 0.648 #6/6 |
| Schuyler County, IL | 6,786 | $64,892 | 3.9%/yr | 5.0% | 0.556 |
| Pike County, IL | 14,468 | $59,731 | 5.1%/yr | 3.9% | 0.515 |
| Scott County, IL | 4,937 | $66,777 | 4.8%/yr | 2.7% | 0.527 |
| Adams County, IL | 64,753 | $66,119 | 4.0%/yr | 3.9% | 0.506 |
| McDonough County, IL | 26,917 | $54,356 | 3.4%/yr | 7.9% | 0.553 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Brown County, Illinois has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Illinois, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Brown County, Illinois.
How Rich Is Brown County, Illinois?
Brown County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $68,449, about 19% lower than the Illinois average of $84,042.
Are incomes growing in Brown County, Illinois?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Brown County, Illinois rose 100%, from $34,300 to $68,449. Over the same years, income here outpaced Illinois as a whole: +100% against +52%.
What was the median household income in Brown County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Brown County, Illinois was $72,436, up 13% from $63,916 in 2022. The Illinois median that year was $82,182.
What was the median household income in Brown County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Brown County, Illinois was $60,582. By 2024 it had risen 13% to $68,449.
How strong is the job market in Brown County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Brown County, Illinois is only 3.1%, well below the Illinois rate of 5.8%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Brown County, Illinois?
The Gini coefficient in Brown County is 0.648. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Brown County, Illinois?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Brown County, Illinois has widened from about 10% to 15% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2017, and was narrowest at 7% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,735 since 2009.
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