Stark County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Stark 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Stark County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,307 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 18.4 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.19% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,285 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Stark County declined by 12.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,307 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Stark County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.4% of residents. That is 5.4 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 940 17.7% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 956 18.0% -3.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,103 20.8% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,187 22.4% +5.4 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 50.9% of the people living in Stark County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 49.1% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Stark County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Stark County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Stark County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,462 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.57% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Stark County is about 23% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Stark County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $58,329 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $735 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.1% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Stark County is about 6.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $735 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Stark County spend about 50 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 210 hours, about 8.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Stark County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.2 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 50.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 210 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,511 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,318 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 385 | 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 Stark County is 25 minutes, longer 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
Stark County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Stark County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 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
Stark County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Stark County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.5% | 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).
Stark County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Stark County, IL is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 5,307 residents against a local median of 48,841. The measure that sets Stark County, IL apart most is commute: 25.2 min, 44% above the local median of 17.5 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $58,329 against a local median of $50,155, 16% above it. The counties themselves spread 6.8 min on commute, so Stark County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Stark County, IL has the 5th lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stark County, IL | 5,307 | $64,462 #4/5 | $58,329 #3/5 | 25.2 min #5/5 |
| Peoria County, IL | 179,437 | $66,474 | $39,193 | 17.4 min |
| Bureau County, IL | 32,861 | $69,533 | $87,129 | 17.7 min |
| Henry County, IL | 48,639 | $71,913 | $61,118 | 20.7 min |
| Knox County, IL | 49,044 | $57,634 | $28,739 | 14.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Stark County, Illinois.
How big is Stark County, Illinois by population?
About 5,307 people live in Stark County, Illinois, in 2,285 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Stark County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Stark County, Illinois has 18 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 21% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Stark County, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($58,329 against $64,462), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $735 a month takes about 14% 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 Stark County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Stark County, Illinois is only 2.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Stark County, Illinois have a college degree?
17.8% of adults in Stark County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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