Fulton County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Fulton 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 averageLess wealthy than 76% of counties in Illinois
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,018 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 37.4 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.09% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.1 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,794 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Fulton County declined by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,018 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Fulton County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.6% of residents. That is 1.2 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,122 18.5% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,589 20.0% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,120 21.6% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,910 20.9% +4.0 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 47.9% of the people living in Fulton County and men 52.1%.
- Women 47.9% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 52.1% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Fulton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Fulton County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,876 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.52% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Fulton County is about 28% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $74,502 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $784 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.6% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Fulton County is about 7.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $784 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Fulton County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.6 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,852 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.1% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,873 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 471 | 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 Fulton County is 19 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
Fulton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 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
Fulton County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.3% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.8% | 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).
Fulton County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Fulton County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, IL | 33,018 | $60,876 #1/3 | $74,502 #2/3 | 18.8 min #3/3 |
| Knox County, IL | 49,044 | $57,634 | $28,739 | 14.0 min |
| McDonough County, IL | 26,917 | $54,356 | $90,788 | 13.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Fulton County, Illinois.
How many people live in Fulton County, Illinois?
About 33,018 people live in Fulton County, Illinois, in 13,794 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 42.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Fulton County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Fulton County, Illinois has 37 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 43% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Fulton County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($74,502 against $60,876), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $784 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Fulton County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Fulton County, Illinois is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Fulton County, Illinois?
16.6% of adults in Fulton County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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