Hardin County, Illinois Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Hardin County, Illinois, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Hardin County, Illinois. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Hardin County, Illinois. The estimated population of Hardin County, Illinois is 3,700 people, with a median age of 53.3.

We can look at the total population in Hardin County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
3,700
 -4.88% -11.08%
2020
3,890
 -1.24% -
2019
3,939
 -1.75% -
2018
4,009
 -3.65% -
2017
4,161
 - -

Population of Hardin County, Illinois by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
95.2%
93.1%
 +2.26%
Black/African American
1.5%
3.8%
 -60.53%
Native
0%
0.2%
 -100.00%
Hispanic
1.5%
1.8%
 -16.67%
Asian
0%
0.1%
 -100.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.8%
1.1%
 +63.64%
Other
0%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Hardin County, Illinois by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 53.3 +9.22% 53.3 +8.55% 53.8 +10.47%
2020 48.8 +4.27% 49.1 +7.68% 48.7 +1.04%
2019 46.8 +1.3% 45.6 +1.56% 48.2 +2.55%
2018 46.2 -1.28% 44.9 +1.58% 47 -1.88%
2017 46.8 - 44.2 - 47.9 -

The median age of Hardin County, Illinois gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 146 -2.92% 140 -50.25% 136 72
10 to 19 259 -34.04% 272 -29.03% 175 194
20 to 29 177 +20.57% 171 0.4% 209 164
30 to 39 377 -36.54% 285 -23.09% 253 224
40 to 49 318 -74.73% 213 -17.18% 121 154
50 to 59 324 +38.22% 281 -42.06% 429 177
60 to 69 281 +4.84% 312 +25.25% 290 394
70+ 289 +17.18% 316 +24.68% 335 373

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Hardin County, Illinois is $51,738.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Hardin County.

  • Under 25
    $13,750.00
  • 25 to 44
    $78,295.00
  • 45 to 64
    $42,250.00
  • 65 and over
    $49,728.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Hardin County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Hardin County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Hardin County, Illinois is currently $68,378.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

2.33% of households in Hardin County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Hardin County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    22.25%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    24.78%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    23.85%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.59%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    9.66%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3.53%
  • $200,000 or more
    2.33%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Hardin County is $30,037.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Hardin County by the total population of Hardin County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Hardin County, Illinois, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Hardin County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    5.70%
  • Bachelor's degree
    16.47%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    15.33%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    58.64%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.86%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Hardin County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Hardin County over the age of 16 is 3,245.

Of those people, a total of 41.40% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Hardin County is 38.90%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 122 40.20% 0.00%
20 to 24 years 193 87.60% 21.90%
25 to 29 years 180 71.70% 8.50%
30 to 34 years 162 82.70% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 447 69.10% 10.70%
45 to 54 years 451 43.00% 0.00%
55 to 59 years 298 28.90% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 309 51.50% 0.00%
65 to 74 years 655 17.30% 0.00%
75 years and over 428 0.00% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Hardin County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 3,141 42.50% 6.10%
Black or African American 55 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 0 0.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 49 12.20% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 28 53.60% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 3,113 42.40% 6.10%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Hardin County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Hardin County is 1,261, with median earnings of $34,639.00.

Women in Hardin County, Illinois earning approximately 72.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 1,261 $34,639.00
Male 705 $40,784.00
Female 556 $29,714.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 112 $65,000.00
Business and Financial 32 $43,654.00
Computer and Mathematical 37 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 2 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 12 $0.00
Community and Social Service 6 $0.00
Legal 19 $0.00
Educational and Library 61 $42,863.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 159 $61,042.00
Healthcare Support 61 $24,702.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 16 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 50 $17,143.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 13 $15,625.00
Personal Care and Service 26 $33,636.00
Sales 50 $10,962.00
Office and Administrative Support 99 $27,321.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 25 $4,338.00
Construction and Extraction 83 $27,031.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 49 $55,341.00
Production 106 $41,667.00
Transportation and Material Moving 94 $49,500.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 45 $91,250.00 67 $46,058.00
Business and Financial 19 $0.00 13 $0.00
Computer and Mathematical 37 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 2 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 12 $0.00
Community and Social Service 3 $0.00 3 $0.00
Legal 0 $0.00 19 $0.00
Educational and Library 28 $0.00 33 $24,028.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 7 $0.00 152 $60,880.00
Healthcare Support 13 $0.00 48 $25,357.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 16 $0.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 21 $4,750.00 29 $21,875.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 11 $4,792.00 2 $0.00
Personal Care and Service 18 $0.00 8 $0.00
Sales 10 $0.00 40 $8,750.00
Office and Administrative Support 6 $0.00 93 $27,663.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 25 $4,338.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 83 $27,031.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 49 $55,341.00 0 $0.00
Production 87 $44,464.00 19 $10,139.00
Transportation and Material Moving 86 $49,900.00 8 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 1,501 households in Hardin County, with an average household size of 2.4 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 899 families in Hardin County with an average family size of 3.16 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 711 109 79 602
Average Household Size 3.16 3.94 3.62 1.07
Total Families 711 109 79 0
Average Household Size 3.11 3.42 3.25 0

Poverty

Of the 899 families in Hardin County, 7.60% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Hardin County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 2,239 housing units in Hardin County, Illinois.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 1,501 67.04%
Vacant 738 32.96%

10.72% of the total 2,239 housing units in Hardin County are rental units. This is approximately 240 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 1,164 are occupied by the owner - or 51.99% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Hardin County is $317.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Hardin County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    97
  • Less than $500
    170
  • $500 to $999
    70
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    0
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Hardin County is $77,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Hardin County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    322
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    436
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    152
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    133
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    71
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    23
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    18
  • $1,000,000 or more
    9

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Hardin County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Hardin County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    486
  • 1940 to 1949
    204
  • 1950 to 1959
    200
  • 1960 to 1969
    216
  • 1970 to 1979
    323
  • 1980 to 1989
    341
  • 1990 to 1999
    255
  • 2000 to 2009
    106
  • 2010 to 2013
    108
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Hardin County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    138
  • 1 vehicle available
    377
  • 2 vehicles available
    559
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    427

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Hardin County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Hardin County that commute to work in a particular way.

28.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Hardin County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    92
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    171
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    174
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    127
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    91
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    35
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    182
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    74
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    57
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    60
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    85
  • 90 or more minutes
    63

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Hardin County, Illinois in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Hardin County, Illinois

We have data for 7 places in Hardin County, Illinois. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.