Ford County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ford 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 | Ford County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,406 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 27.6 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,828 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ford County declined by 4.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,406 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ford County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,534 18.9% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,540 18.9% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,825 21.1% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,542 19.0% +2.0 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 Ford 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 Ford County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ford County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Ford County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,499 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.08% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ford County is about 26% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Ford County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $53,750 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $922 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.3% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ford County is about 4.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $922 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ford 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 178 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ford County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.4 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.8 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 178 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,523 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,508 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 401 | 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 Ford 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
Ford County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ford County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 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
Ford County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ford County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.8% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.5% | 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).
Ford County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Ford County, IL is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 13,406 residents against a local median of 72,384. Where Ford County, IL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 38% below the local median of $86,997 at $53,750.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.4 min against a local median of 16.1 min, 33% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 33% above the local median it puts Ford County, IL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $101,109 on median home price, so Ford County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ford County, IL has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford County, IL | 13,406 | $62,499 #5/6 | $53,750 #5/6 | 21.4 min #6/6 |
| Iroquois County, IL | 26,449 | $66,798 | $96,428 | 20.2 min |
| Livingston County, IL | 35,565 | $73,875 | $25,250 | 16.1 min |
| Champaign County, IL | 208,737 | $64,164 | $86,997 | 15.8 min |
| McLean County, IL | 171,556 | $79,591 | $126,359 | 15.7 min |
| Vermilion County, IL | 72,384 | $57,282 | $82,480 | 16.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ford County, Illinois.
What is the population of Ford County, Illinois?
About 13,406 people live in Ford County, Illinois, in 5,828 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 42.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Ford County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ford County, Illinois has 28 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 Ford County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($53,750 against $62,499), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $922 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Ford County, Illinois have a college degree?
18.6% of adults in Ford 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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