Scott County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Scott 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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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 76% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Scott County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,937 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.5 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.57% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,046 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Scott County declined by 5.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,937 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Scott County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 923 18.7% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 894 18.1% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,083 21.9% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 976 19.8% +2.8 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 50.2% of the people living in Scott County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.8% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Scott County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Scott County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Scott County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,777 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.83% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Scott County is about 21% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Scott County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $102,778 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $688 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Scott County is about 12.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $688 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Scott County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 183 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Scott County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.0 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 183 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,679 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,017 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 418 | 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 Scott County is 22 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
Scott County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Scott County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 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
Scott County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Scott County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.2% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.9% | 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).
Scott County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Scott County, IL compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, IL | 4,937 | $66,777 #1/2 | $102,778 #1/2 | 22.0 min #2/2 |
| Morgan County, IL | 33,021 | $65,762 | $93,502 | 13.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Scott County, Illinois.
What is the population of Scott County, Illinois?
About 4,937 people live in Scott County, Illinois, in 2,046 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 46.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Scott County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Scott County, Illinois has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Scott County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($102,778 against $66,777), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $688 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Scott County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Scott County, Illinois is only 2.7%, 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 Scott County, Illinois?
20.4% of adults in Scott 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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