Bureau County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bureau 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 averageHealthier than 78% of counties in Illinois
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bureau County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,861 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 37.6 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.36% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,025 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bureau County declined by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 32,861 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bureau County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,240 19.0% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,819 17.7% -4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,058 21.5% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,022 21.4% +4.5 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 50.5% of the people living in Bureau County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.5% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bureau County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bureau County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Bureau County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,533 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.80% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bureau County is about 17% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Bureau County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $87,129 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $831 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bureau County is about 8.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $831 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bureau County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 147 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bureau County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.7 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.3 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 147 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,565 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,952 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 503 | 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 Bureau County is 18 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
Bureau County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Bureau County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 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
Bureau County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bureau County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.6 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.4% | 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).
Bureau County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bureau County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau County, IL | 32,861 | $69,533 #2/3 | $87,129 #1/3 | 17.7 min #2/3 |
| Lee County, IL | 33,849 | $70,910 | $46,666 | 17.9 min |
| Whiteside County, IL | 54,941 | $67,250 | $75,302 | 16.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bureau County, Illinois.
How many people live in Bureau County, Illinois?
About 32,861 people live in Bureau County, Illinois, in 14,025 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Bureau County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Bureau County, Illinois has 38 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 44% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Bureau County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($87,129 against $69,533), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $831 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Bureau County, Illinois?
20.2% of adults in Bureau County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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