Lawrence County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lawrence 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 averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Illinois
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 94% of counties in Illinois
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 88% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lawrence County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,031 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.2 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.22% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,472 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lawrence County declined by 9.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,031 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lawrence County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.4% of residents. That is 0.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,100 20.6% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,370 22.4% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,096 20.6% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,724 18.1% +1.2 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 43.7% of the people living in Lawrence County and men 56.3%.
- Women 43.7% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 56.3% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lawrence County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lawrence County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,568 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.81% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lawrence County is about 32% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Lawrence County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $127,455 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $835 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lawrence County is about 12.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $835 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lawrence County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 168 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 168 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,223 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,619 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 586 | 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 Lawrence County is 20 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
Lawrence County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.7% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 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
Lawrence County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lawrence County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.4 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.1% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 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).
Lawrence County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lawrence County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, IL | 15,031 | $57,568 #3/3 | $127,455 #1/3 | 20.2 min #3/3 |
| Knox County, IN | 35,997 | $61,328 | $90,926 | 15.8 min |
| Gibson County, IN | 32,996 | $69,133 | $110,833 | 17.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lawrence County, Illinois.
What is the population of Lawrence County, Illinois?
About 15,031 people live in Lawrence County, Illinois, in 5,472 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Lawrence County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Lawrence County, Illinois has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lawrence County, Illinois?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($127,455 against $57,568), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $835 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Lawrence County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Lawrence County, Illinois is 8.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Lawrence County, Illinois have a college degree?
12.7% of adults in Lawrence County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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