Coles County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Coles 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 82% of counties in Illinois
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 81% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Coles County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,775 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 91.8 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.48% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 20,823 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Coles County declined by 10.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 46,775 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Coles County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 29.5% of residents. That is 8.2 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,777 29.5% +8.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,292 17.7% -4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,617 18.4% -2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,987 17.1% +0.2 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 51.4% of the people living in Coles County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.6% Illinois 49.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Coles County
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Economy
Coles County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Coles County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,802 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.84% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Coles County is about 32% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Coles County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $754,281 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $779 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.4% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Coles County is about 80.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $779 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Coles County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 112 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Coles County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.4 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.8 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 112 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,463 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,856 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 757 | 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 Coles 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
Coles County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Coles County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.06 | 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
Coles County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Coles County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.2% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.7% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Coles County, Illinois.
How big is Coles County, Illinois by population?
About 46,775 people live in Coles County, Illinois, in 20,823 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Coles County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Coles County, Illinois has 92 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Coles County, Illinois?
The median home costs 13.3 times the median household income ($754,281 against $56,802), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $779 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 Coles County, Illinois?
23.9% of adults in Coles County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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