Jackson County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jackson 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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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Illinois
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 95% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jackson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,061 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 88.1 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.33% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.5 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 22,954 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jackson County declined by 9.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 53,061 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jackson County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 34.5% of residents. That is 13.3 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 18,311 34.5% +13.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,281 17.5% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,661 16.3% -4.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,994 15.1% -1.8 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jackson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jackson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,884 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.73% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jackson County is about 42% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Jackson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $69,066 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $782 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jackson County is about 7.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $782 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jackson County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 137 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jackson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.5 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.0 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 137 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,259 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.8% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,923 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 666 | 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 Jackson County is 16 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
Jackson County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Jackson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.8% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.13 | 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
Jackson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jackson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.7% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.7% | 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).
Jackson County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, IL is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 53,061 residents against a local median of 66,874. Jackson County, IL's median home price, at $69,066, runs 27% below the $94,999 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $48,884 against a local median of $65,527, 25% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 25% below the local median it puts Jackson County, IL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $145,608 on median home price, so Jackson County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jackson County, IL has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, IL | 53,061 | $48,884 #4/4 | $69,066 #3/4 | 16.5 min #1/4 |
| Perry County, IL | 20,638 | $63,094 | $69,053 | 20.6 min |
| Williamson County, IL | 66,874 | $65,527 | $94,999 | 18.5 min |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 82,735 | $67,617 | $214,661 | 17.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jackson County, Illinois.
How many people live in Jackson County, Illinois?
About 53,061 people live in Jackson County, Illinois, in 22,954 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 33.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Jackson County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jackson County, Illinois has 88 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Jackson County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($69,066 against $48,884), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $782 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Jackson County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Jackson County, Illinois is 7.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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