Jersey County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jersey 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 averageHealthier than 74% of counties in Illinois
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 75% of counties in Illinois
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jersey County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,266 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 56.3 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.79% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.7 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,962 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jersey County declined by 6.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,266 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jersey County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,373 20.6% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,930 18.5% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,781 22.5% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,242 19.9% +3.0 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 51.1% of the people living in Jersey County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.9% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jersey County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jersey County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Jersey County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,198 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.98% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jersey County is about 7% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Jersey County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $129,386 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $845 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.5% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jersey County is about 12.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $845 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jersey 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 190 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jersey County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.8 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.6 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 190 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,893 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.7% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,020 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,260 | 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 Jersey 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
Jersey County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Jersey County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.3% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 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
Jersey County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jersey County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.6% | 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).
Jersey County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Jersey County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey County, IL | 21,266 | $78,198 #3/3 | $129,386 #3/3 | 22.8 min #3/3 |
| St. Charles County, MO | 414,008 | $105,635 | $326,504 | 22.7 min |
| St. Louis County, MO | 995,111 | $83,558 | $227,571 | 21.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jersey County, Illinois.
What is the population of Jersey County, Illinois?
About 21,266 people live in Jersey County, Illinois, in 7,962 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Jersey County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Jersey County, Illinois has 56 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 65% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Jersey County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($129,386 against $78,198), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $845 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Jersey County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Jersey County, Illinois is only 3.4%, 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 Jersey County, Illinois?
20.3% of adults in Jersey County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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