Hardin County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hardin 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in Illinois
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 93% of counties in Illinois
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F
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hardin County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,602 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.9 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.81% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,545 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hardin County declined by 19.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,602 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hardin County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 27.1% of residents. That is 10.2 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 561 15.6% -5.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 633 17.6% -4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 827 23.0% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 976 27.1% +10.2 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 48.3% of the people living in Hardin County and men 51.7%.
- Women 48.3% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 51.7% Illinois 49.4%
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Economy
Hardin County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hardin County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,842 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.06% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hardin County is about 36% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Hardin County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $80,018 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $378 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.5% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hardin County is about 17.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $378 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hardin County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hardin County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.1 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.3 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,979 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.2% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,867 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 166 | 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 Hardin County is 23 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
Hardin County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hardin County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 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
Hardin County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hardin County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.4% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hardin County, Illinois.
How many people live in Hardin County, Illinois?
About 3,602 people live in Hardin County, Illinois, in 1,545 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 51.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Hardin County, Illinois mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hardin County, Illinois has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hardin County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($80,018 against $53,842), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $378 a month takes about 8% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Hardin County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Hardin County, Illinois is only 2.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Hardin County, Illinois?
11.4% of adults in Hardin County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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