Edwards County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Edwards 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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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 79% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Edwards County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,071 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 27.3 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.06% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,666 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Edwards County declined by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,071 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Edwards County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.3% of residents. That is 4.4 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,070 17.6% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,093 18.0% -3.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,282 21.1% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,295 21.3% +4.4 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 50.4% of the people living in Edwards County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.6% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Edwards County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Edwards County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Edwards County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,682 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.34% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Edwards County is about 28% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Edwards County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $20,417 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $811 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.3% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Edwards County is about 2.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $811 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Edwards County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 168 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Edwards County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 168 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,215 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,667 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 844 | 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 Edwards County is 20 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
Edwards County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Edwards County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.7% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Edwards County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Edwards County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.8% | 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).
Edwards County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Edwards County, IL compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edwards County, IL | 6,071 | $60,682 #2/2 | $20,417 #2/2 | 20.2 min #1/2 |
| Posey County, IN | 25,116 | $80,859 | $38,071 | 22.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Edwards County, Illinois.
What is the population of Edwards County, Illinois?
About 6,071 people live in Edwards County, Illinois, in 2,666 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Edwards County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Edwards County, Illinois has 27 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 32% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Edwards County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($20,417 against $60,682), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $811 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Edwards County, Illinois have a college degree?
12.7% of adults in Edwards County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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