Macon County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Macon 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 averageLess healthy than 84% of counties in Illinois
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Macon County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 101,849 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 173.9 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.78% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 43,468 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Macon County declined by 6.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 101,849 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Macon County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.7% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 20,267 19.9% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 19,147 18.8% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 21,133 20.7% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 19,449 19.1% +2.2 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 51.9% of the people living in Macon County and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.1% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Macon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Macon County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Macon County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,654 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.55% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Macon County is about 25% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Macon County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $65,982 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $846 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.2% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Macon County is about 6.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $846 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Macon 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 140 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Macon County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.7 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.5 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,326 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,829 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 942 | 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 Macon County is 17 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
Macon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Macon County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Macon County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Macon County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.2% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 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).
Macon County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Macon County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County, IL | 101,849 | $62,654 #3/3 | $65,982 #2/3 | 16.7 min #2/3 |
| Christian County, IL | 33,536 | $62,799 | $54,154 | 18.3 min |
| Logan County, IL | 27,712 | $66,476 | $87,894 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Macon County, Illinois.
How many people live in Macon County, Illinois?
About 101,849 people live in Macon County, Illinois, in 43,468 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Macon County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Macon County, Illinois has 174 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Macon County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($65,982 against $62,654), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $846 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Macon County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Macon County, Illinois is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Macon County, Illinois?
22.1% of adults in Macon 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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