Stephenson County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Stephenson 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
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,760 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 77.5 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.70% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.4 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,355 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Stephenson County declined by 6.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,760 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Stephenson County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.3% of residents. That is 5.4 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,908 18.1% -3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,799 17.8% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,278 21.2% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,744 22.3% +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 51.1% of the people living in Stephenson 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 Stephenson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Stephenson County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,970 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.55% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Stephenson County is about 23% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $56,873 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $797 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Stephenson County is about 5.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $797 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Stephenson County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 132 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.9 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.7 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 132 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,095 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,186 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 702 | 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 Stephenson County is 16 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
Stephenson County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.0% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 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
Stephenson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.6% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.2% | 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).
Stephenson County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Stephenson County, IL is typical in size for this group, 43,760 residents against a local median of 44,251, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Stephenson County, IL's median home price, at $56,873, runs 63% below the $154,540 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.9 min against a local median of 19.5 min, 19% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Stephenson County, IL is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $157,690 on median home price, so Stephenson County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Stephenson County, IL has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenson County, IL | 43,760 | $64,970 #5/5 | $56,873 #5/5 | 15.9 min #1/5 |
| Green County, WI | 37,017 | $81,855 | $139,166 | 20.3 min |
| Ogle County, IL | 51,485 | $81,962 | $169,914 | 22.3 min |
| Winnebago County, IL | 283,258 | $66,225 | $106,298 | 18.7 min |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 21,851 | $73,995 | $263,988 | 18.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Stephenson County, Illinois.
How many people live in Stephenson County, Illinois?
About 43,760 people live in Stephenson County, Illinois, in 19,355 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 45.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Stephenson County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Stephenson County, Illinois has 77 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Stephenson County, Illinois?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($56,873 against $64,970), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $797 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Stephenson County, Illinois have a college degree?
19.0% of adults in Stephenson 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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