McLean County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
McLean 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 93% of counties in Illinois
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 82% of counties in Illinois
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | McLean County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 171,556 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 144.6 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.12% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.9 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 70,220 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in McLean County grew by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 171,556 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in McLean County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 29.2% of residents. That is 7.9 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 50,038 29.2% +7.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 34,138 19.9% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 31,270 18.2% -2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 23,910 13.9% -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 51.0% of the people living in McLean County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.0% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in McLean County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
McLean County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | McLean County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,591 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.80% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in McLean County is about 5% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | McLean County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $126,359 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,009 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.1% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in McLean County is about 10.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,009 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in McLean County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | McLean County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.7 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,052 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 17.5% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,647 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 688 | 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 McLean 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
McLean County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | McLean County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.3% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 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
McLean County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | McLean County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.5% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 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).
McLean County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How McLean County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLean County, IL | 171,556 | $79,591 #2/3 | $126,359 #1/3 | 15.7 min #1/3 |
| Woodford County, IL | 38,283 | $92,853 | $45,985 | 22.6 min |
| Livingston County, IL | 35,565 | $73,875 | $25,250 | 16.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about McLean County, Illinois.
What is the population of McLean County, Illinois?
About 171,556 people live in McLean County, Illinois, in 70,220 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 32.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is McLean County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, McLean County, Illinois has 145 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in McLean County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($126,359 against $79,591), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,009 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in McLean County, Illinois?
Unemployment in McLean County, Illinois is only 3.1%, 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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