Edgar County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Edgar 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
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Edgar County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,531 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 26.5 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.94% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.8 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,565 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Edgar County declined by 11.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,531 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Edgar County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.1% of residents. That is 5.2 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,839 17.2% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,041 18.4% -3.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,592 21.7% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,651 22.1% +5.2 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 Edgar County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.6% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Edgar County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Edgar County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Edgar County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,966 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.37% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Edgar County is about 29% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Edgar County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $159,581 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $775 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.7% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Edgar County is about 17.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $775 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Edgar County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 100 hours, about 4.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Edgar County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.0 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 100 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,101 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,791 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 483 | 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 Edgar County is 12 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
Edgar County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Edgar County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.9% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.13 | 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
Edgar County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Edgar County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.6% | 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).
Edgar County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Edgar County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar County, IL | 16,531 | $59,966 #1/3 | $159,581 #2/3 | 12.0 min #1/3 |
| Vigo County, IN | 106,109 | $52,462 | $64,620 | 16.9 min |
| Coles County, IL | 46,775 | $56,802 | $754,281 | 13.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Edgar County, Illinois.
What is the population of Edgar County, Illinois?
About 16,531 people live in Edgar County, Illinois, in 7,565 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 46.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Edgar County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Edgar County, Illinois has 27 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 31% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Edgar County, Illinois?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($159,581 against $59,966), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $775 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Edgar County, Illinois?
18.9% of adults in Edgar 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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