Peoria County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Peoria 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 average
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 87% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Peoria County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 179,437 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 284.6 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.50% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.3 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 77,678 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Peoria County declined by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 179,437 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Peoria County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.0% of residents. That is 0.2 points below Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 37,729 21.0% -0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 36,260 20.2% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 34,254 19.1% -1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 32,184 17.9% +1.0 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 51.5% of the people living in Peoria County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.5% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Peoria County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Peoria County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Peoria County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,474 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.16% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Peoria County is about 21% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Peoria County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $39,193 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $992 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Peoria County is about 3.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $992 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Peoria County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Peoria County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.7 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,486 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,285 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,288 | 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 Peoria 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
Peoria County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Peoria County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.6% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 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
Peoria County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Peoria County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.3% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.6% | 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).
Peoria County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Peoria County, IL is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 179,437 residents against a local median of 49,044. Where Peoria County, IL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 47% below the local median of $74,502 at $39,193.
The counties themselves spread $133,214 on median home price, so Peoria County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Peoria County, IL has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria County, IL | 179,437 | $66,474 #2/4 | $39,193 #3/4 | 17.4 min #2/4 |
| Tazewell County, IL | 130,271 | $77,722 | $161,953 | 20.0 min |
| Knox County, IL | 49,044 | $57,634 | $28,739 | 14.0 min |
| Fulton County, IL | 33,018 | $60,876 | $74,502 | 18.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Peoria County, Illinois.
How many people live in Peoria County, Illinois?
About 179,437 people live in Peoria County, Illinois, in 77,678 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 36.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Peoria County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Peoria County, Illinois has 285 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Peoria County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($39,193 against $66,474), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $992 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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