Fulton County, Illinois Income Statistics
Fulton County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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C
Fulton County Below averageLess wealthy than 76% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $60,876 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $47,560 | $64,565 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.5% | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.8% | 15.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.2% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Fulton County is about 28% lower than in Illinois. Income has been growing slower in Fulton County (3.5%/yr) than in Illinois (4.5%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Fulton County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Illinois average of 15%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Fulton County, Illinois grew by 49.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $60,876 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.5% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Fulton County
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.542 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $61,107 | $73,933 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $43,710 | $60,067 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 28.5% | 18.8% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Fulton County, it is 0.542, lower than Illinois's 0.547, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 40% more than women's income in Fulton County, Illinois. Over a 35-year career, a 40% wage gap accumulates to roughly $608,895 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Fulton County, Illinois has narrowed from about 29% to 28% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2020, and was narrowest at 25% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,961 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Fulton County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 6.7% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.1% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 18 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 981 people are unemployed in Fulton County, Illinois.
The average commute time in Fulton County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Illinois.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Fulton County, Illinois has fallen from 8.0% to 6.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.1% in 2013 and fell as low as 6.4% in 2019.
Fulton County, IL Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Fulton County, IL is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 33,018 residents against a local median of 12,785. Fulton County, IL's unemployment, at 6.7%, runs 34% above the 5.0% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 3.5%/yr against a local median of 4.2%/yr, 16% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Fulton County, IL reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 3.7% on unemployment, so Fulton County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Fulton County, IL has the 5th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, IL | 33,018 | $60,876 #4/6 | 3.5%/yr #5/6 | 6.7% #5/6 | 0.542 #4/6 |
| Mason County, IL | 12,741 | $62,566 | 4.6%/yr | 4.9% | 0.513 |
| Knox County, IL | 49,044 | $57,634 | 4.5%/yr | 5.1% | 0.538 |
| McDonough County, IL | 26,917 | $54,356 | 3.4%/yr | 7.9% | 0.553 |
| Cass County, IL | 12,785 | $67,734 | 4.2%/yr | 4.2% | 0.538 |
| Schuyler County, IL | 6,786 | $64,892 | 3.9%/yr | 5.0% | 0.556 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Fulton County, Illinois has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it somewhat worse than Illinois, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Fulton County, Illinois.
How Rich Is Fulton County, Illinois?
Fulton County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $60,876, about 28% lower than the Illinois average of $84,042.
How has median household income changed in Fulton County, Illinois?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Fulton County, Illinois rose 50%, from $40,701 to $60,876. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Illinois as a whole: +50% against +52%.
What was the median household income in Fulton County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Fulton County, Illinois was $58,532, up 3% from $56,879 in 2022. The Illinois median that year was $82,182.
What was the median household income in Fulton County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Fulton County, Illinois was $52,630. By 2024 it had risen 16% to $60,876.
What is the Gini coefficient in Fulton County, Illinois?
The Gini coefficient in Fulton County is 0.542. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Fulton County, Illinois?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Fulton County, Illinois has narrowed from about 29% to 28% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2020, and was narrowest at 25% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,961 since 2009.
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