Putnam County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Putnam 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 91% of counties in Illinois
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 89% of counties in Illinois
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Putnam County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,598 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 32.5 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.9 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,465 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Putnam County declined by 6.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,598 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Putnam County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.4% of residents. That is 6.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 980 17.5% -3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 994 17.7% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,254 22.4% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,312 23.4% +6.5 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 49.0% of the people living in Putnam County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 51.0% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Putnam County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Putnam County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Putnam County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,455 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.12% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Putnam County is about 10% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Putnam County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $170,487 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $850 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.5% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Putnam County is about 16.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $850 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Putnam County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Putnam County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.9 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.8 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,171 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,553 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 650 | 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 Putnam County is about the same as 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
Putnam County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Putnam 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
Putnam County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Putnam County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.7% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.6% | 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).
Putnam County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Putnam County, IL is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 5,598 residents against a local median of 38,283. The measure that sets Putnam County, IL apart most is median home price: $170,487, 96% above the local median of $87,129.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 23.9 min against a local median of 18.5 min, 29% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 29% above the local median it puts Putnam County, IL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves sit within $51,983 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Putnam County, IL, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Putnam County, IL has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, IL | 5,598 | $75,455 #2/4 | $170,487 #1/4 | 23.9 min #4/4 |
| Bureau County, IL | 32,861 | $69,533 | $87,129 | 17.7 min |
| Woodford County, IL | 38,283 | $92,853 | $45,985 | 22.6 min |
| LaSalle County, IL | 108,714 | $73,482 | $97,968 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Putnam County, Illinois.
What is the population of Putnam County, Illinois?
About 5,598 people live in Putnam County, Illinois, in 2,465 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 47.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Putnam County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Putnam County, Illinois has 33 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 38% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Putnam County, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($170,487 against $75,455), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $850 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Putnam County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Putnam County, Illinois is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Putnam County, Illinois?
22.1% of adults in Putnam 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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