Saline County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Saline 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 averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in Illinois
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 83% of counties in Illinois
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Saline County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,213 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 60.0 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.76% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,024 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Saline County declined by 10.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 23,213 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Saline County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 1.3 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,216 18.2% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,411 19.0% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,043 21.7% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,637 20.0% +3.1 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 51.1% of the people living in Saline County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.9% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Saline County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Saline County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Saline County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,513 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.72% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Saline County is about 36% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Saline County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $57,217 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $725 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.5% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Saline County is about 6.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $725 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Saline 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 | Saline 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 | $4,488 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,002 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 512 | 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 Saline 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
Saline County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Saline County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.9% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 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
Saline County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Saline County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.1 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.5% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.3% | 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).
Saline County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Saline County, IL compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County, IL | 23,213 | $53,513 #2/2 | $57,217 #2/2 | 17.4 min #1/2 |
| Williamson County, IL | 66,874 | $65,527 | $94,999 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Saline County, Illinois.
What is the population of Saline County, Illinois?
About 23,213 people live in Saline County, Illinois, in 10,024 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Saline County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Saline County, Illinois has 60 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Saline County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($57,217 against $53,513), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $725 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 Saline County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Saline County, Illinois is 7.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Saline County, Illinois have a college degree?
18.9% of adults in Saline 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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