Hancock County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hancock 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 averageHealthier than 82% of counties in Illinois
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hancock County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,281 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.2 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.94% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,613 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hancock County declined by 7.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,281 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hancock County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.2% of residents. That is 6.3 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,080 17.8% -3.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,900 16.8% -5.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,707 21.5% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,005 23.2% +6.3 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 50.3% of the people living in Hancock County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.7% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hancock County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hancock County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hancock County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,991 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.51% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hancock County is about 21% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Hancock County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $58,213 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $781 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hancock County is about 6.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $781 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hancock 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 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hancock County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.3 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.6 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,498 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,973 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 338 | 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 Hancock 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
Hancock County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hancock County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 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
Hancock County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hancock County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.5 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.5% | 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).
Hancock County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Hancock County, IL is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 17,281 residents against a local median of 35,690. The measure that sets Hancock County, IL apart most is median home price: $58,213, 56% below the local median of $131,136.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.3 min against a local median of 13.7 min, 56% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 56% above the local median it puts Hancock County, IL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $178,580 on median home price, so Hancock County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hancock County, IL has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, IL | 17,281 | $65,991 #2/5 | $58,213 #4/5 | 21.3 min #5/5 |
| Lee County, IA | 32,893 | $62,330 | $171,484 | 16.0 min |
| Adams County, IL | 64,753 | $66,119 | $202,885 | 13.7 min |
| McDonough County, IL | 26,917 | $54,356 | $90,788 | 13.1 min |
| Des Moines County, IA | 38,487 | $63,600 | $24,305 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hancock County, Illinois.
How many people live in Hancock County, Illinois?
About 17,281 people live in Hancock County, Illinois, in 7,613 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 47.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Hancock County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hancock County, Illinois has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Hancock County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($58,213 against $65,991), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $781 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Hancock County, Illinois?
22.8% of adults in Hancock County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →