Whiteside County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Whiteside 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 | Whiteside County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,941 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 78.8 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.49% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,118 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Whiteside County declined by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 54,941 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Whiteside County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.3% of residents. That is 0.9 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,183 18.5% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,100 18.4% -3.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,684 21.3% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,438 20.8% +3.9 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 50.0% of the people living in Whiteside County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 50.0% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Whiteside County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Whiteside County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Whiteside County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,250 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.94% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Whiteside County is about 20% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Whiteside County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $75,302 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $855 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Whiteside County is about 7.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $855 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Whiteside 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 134 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Whiteside County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.1 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 134 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,142 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,114 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 480 | 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 Whiteside 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
Whiteside County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Whiteside County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.0% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 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
Whiteside County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Whiteside County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.4% | 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).
Whiteside County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Whiteside County, IL is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 54,941 residents against a local median of 40,059. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Whiteside County, IL an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is commute, 10% below the local median at 16.0 min against 17.8 min. Whiteside County, IL has the lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteside County, IL | 54,941 | $67,250 #5/5 | $75,302 #3/5 | 16.0 min #1/5 |
| Henry County, IL | 48,639 | $71,913 | $61,118 | 20.7 min |
| Bureau County, IL | 32,861 | $69,533 | $87,129 | 17.7 min |
| Lee County, IL | 33,849 | $70,910 | $46,666 | 17.9 min |
| Clinton County, IA | 46,268 | $68,145 | $164,024 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Whiteside County, Illinois.
What is the population of Whiteside County, Illinois?
About 54,941 people live in Whiteside County, Illinois, in 23,118 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Whiteside County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Whiteside County, Illinois has 79 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 Whiteside County, Illinois?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($75,302 against $67,250), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $855 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 Whiteside County, Illinois have a college degree?
18.0% of adults in Whiteside 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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