Douglas County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Douglas 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 81% of counties in Illinois
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 78% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Douglas County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,749 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 47.4 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.01% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,765 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Douglas County grew by 1.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,749 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Douglas County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.4% of residents. That is 0.9 points below Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,021 20.4% -0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,005 20.3% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,785 19.2% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,487 17.7% +0.7 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 51.0% of the people living in Douglas County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.0% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Douglas County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Douglas County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Douglas County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,945 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.15% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Douglas County is about 6% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Douglas County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $54,642 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $847 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Douglas County is about 5.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $847 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Douglas County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 143 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Douglas County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 143 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,442 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,123 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 500 | 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 Douglas County is 17 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
Douglas County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Douglas County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 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
Douglas County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Douglas County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.3% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 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).
Douglas County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Douglas County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, IL | 19,749 | $78,945 #1/3 | $54,642 #3/3 | 17.2 min #3/3 |
| Coles County, IL | 46,775 | $56,802 | $754,281 | 13.4 min |
| Champaign County, IL | 208,737 | $64,164 | $86,997 | 15.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Douglas County, Illinois.
How big is Douglas County, Illinois by population?
About 19,749 people live in Douglas County, Illinois, in 7,765 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Douglas County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Douglas County, Illinois has 47 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 55% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Douglas County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($54,642 against $78,945), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $847 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Douglas County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Douglas County, Illinois is only 2.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Douglas County, Illinois?
18.2% of adults in Douglas 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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