Carroll County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carroll 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Carroll County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,576 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 33.3 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.67% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.5 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,578 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carroll County declined by 2.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,576 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carroll County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.4% of residents. That is 6.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,708 17.4% -3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,834 18.2% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,358 21.6% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,652 23.4% +6.5 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 48.2% of the people living in Carroll County and men 51.8%.
- Women 48.2% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 51.8% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Carroll County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Carroll County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Carroll County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,019 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.58% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carroll County is about 27% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Carroll County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $54,583 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $817 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.2% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carroll County is about 5.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $817 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carroll County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carroll County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.3 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.5 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,496 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,306 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 493 | 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 Carroll County is 21 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
Carroll County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Carroll County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.12 | 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
Carroll County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Carroll County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 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).
Carroll County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Carroll County, IL is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 15,576 residents against a local median of 46,268. Carroll County, IL's median home price, at $54,583, runs 67% below the $164,024 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.3 min against a local median of 17.2 min, 24% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 24% above the local median it puts Carroll County, IL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $207,115 on median home price, so Carroll County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carroll County, IL has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County, IL | 15,576 | $61,019 #6/6 | $54,583 #6/6 | 21.3 min #5/6 |
| Whiteside County, IL | 54,941 | $67,250 | $75,302 | 16.0 min |
| Stephenson County, IL | 43,760 | $64,970 | $56,873 | 15.9 min |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 21,851 | $73,995 | $263,988 | 18.0 min |
| Ogle County, IL | 51,485 | $81,962 | $169,914 | 22.3 min |
| Clinton County, IA | 46,268 | $68,145 | $164,024 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carroll County, Illinois.
What is the population of Carroll County, Illinois?
About 15,576 people live in Carroll County, Illinois, in 6,578 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 45.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Carroll County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Carroll County, Illinois has 33 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 39% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Carroll County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($54,583 against $61,019), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $817 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Carroll County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Carroll 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.
How common is a college degree in Carroll County, Illinois?
17.8% of adults in Carroll County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →