Winnebago County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Winnebago 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 90% of counties in Illinois
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 70% of counties in Illinois
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Winnebago County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 283,258 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 545.6 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.25% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 116,001 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Winnebago County declined by 4.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 283,258 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Winnebago County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.6% of residents. That is 0.2 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 57,905 20.4% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 56,535 20.0% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 58,247 20.6% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 50,936 18.0% +1.1 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 Winnebago County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 48.9% Illinois 49.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Winnebago County
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Economy
Winnebago County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Winnebago County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,225 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.72% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Winnebago County is about 21% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Winnebago County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $106,298 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,021 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.9% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Winnebago County is about 8.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,021 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Winnebago County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Winnebago County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.4 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,837 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,697 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,218 | 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 Winnebago County is 19 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
Winnebago County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Winnebago County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.5% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Winnebago County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Winnebago County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.6% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.1% | 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).
Winnebago County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Winnebago County, IL is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 283,258 residents against a local median of 51,485. The measure that sets Winnebago County, IL apart most is median home price: $106,298, 24% below the local median of $139,166.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $66,225 against a local median of $81,855, 19% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 19% below the local median it puts Winnebago County, IL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $115,389 on median home price, so Winnebago County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Winnebago County, IL has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago County, IL | 283,258 | $66,225 #5/6 | $106,298 #4/6 | 18.7 min #2/6 |
| Ogle County, IL | 51,485 | $81,962 | $169,914 | 22.3 min |
| Boone County, IL | 53,226 | $85,291 | $66,484 | 23.3 min |
| Rock County, WI | 164,349 | $75,645 | $172,262 | 19.0 min |
| Stephenson County, IL | 43,760 | $64,970 | $56,873 | 15.9 min |
| Green County, WI | 37,017 | $81,855 | $139,166 | 20.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Winnebago County, Illinois.
How many people live in Winnebago County, Illinois?
About 283,258 people live in Winnebago County, Illinois, in 116,001 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Winnebago County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Winnebago County, Illinois has 546 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Winnebago County, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($106,298 against $66,225), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,021 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Winnebago County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Winnebago County, Illinois is 7.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Winnebago County, Illinois?
22.5% of adults in Winnebago County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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