Jo Daviess County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jo Daviess 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 73% of counties in Illinois
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 84% of counties in Illinois
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 79% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jo Daviess County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,851 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 35.3 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.18% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,391 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jo Daviess County declined by 2.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,851 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jo Daviess 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 3,426 15.7% -5.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,552 16.3% -5.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,778 21.9% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,922 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 49.8% of the people living in Jo Daviess County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 50.2% Illinois 49.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jo Daviess County
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Economy
Jo Daviess County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Jo Daviess County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,995 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.86% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jo Daviess County is about 12% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Jo Daviess County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $263,988 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $825 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.4% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jo Daviess County is about 26.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $825 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jo Daviess County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jo Daviess County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.1 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,662 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,005 | 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 Jo Daviess County is 18 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
Jo Daviess County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Jo Daviess County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.5% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.08 | 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
Jo Daviess County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jo Daviess County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.6% | 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).
Jo Daviess County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Jo Daviess County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 21,851 | $73,995 #1/3 | $263,988 #1/3 | 18.0 min #3/3 |
| Stephenson County, IL | 43,760 | $64,970 | $56,873 | 15.9 min |
| Clinton County, IA | 46,268 | $68,145 | $164,024 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jo Daviess County, Illinois.
How big is Jo Daviess County, Illinois by population?
About 21,851 people live in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, in 10,391 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 52.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
How densely populated is Jo Daviess County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Jo Daviess County, Illinois has 35 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 41% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Jo Daviess County, Illinois?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($263,988 against $73,995), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $825 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 Jo Daviess County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Jo Daviess County, Illinois is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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