Pope County, Illinois Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Pope 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 Pope County, Illinois. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Pope County, Illinois. The estimated population of Pope County, Illinois is 3,820 people, with a median age of 49.8.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
3,820
 -8.55% -12.39%
2020
4,177
 -0.62% -
2019
4,203
 -1.08% -
2018
4,249
 -2.55% -
2017
4,360
 - -

Population of Pope 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
89.5%
90.5%
 -1.10%
Black/African American
3.1%
4.9%
 -36.73%
Native
1.6%
0.2%
 +700.00%
Hispanic
2.4%
1.9%
 +26.32%
Asian
0.4%
1%
 -60.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3%
1.5%
 +100.00%
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 Pope 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 49.8 -12.32% 51.4 -10.14% 48.1 -14.72%
2020 56.8 +8.19% 57.2 +13.27% 56.4 +0.18%
2019 52.5 -2.23% 50.5 +1.41% 56.3 -1.75%
2018 53.7 +2.87% 49.8 -0.4% 57.3 +4.75%
2017 52.2 - 50 - 54.7 -

The median age of Pope 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 9 204 -39.57% 164 +38.75% 133 209
10 to 19 219 -42.42% 177 +66.13% 136 290
20 to 29 250 -41.56% 148 3.02% 159 139
30 to 39 169 0.17% 209 -27.64% 166 148
40 to 49 317 0.42% 158 +56.75% 298 238
50 to 59 333 -7.27% 408 -27.74% 300 295
60 to 69 357 -18.76% 369 +12.06% 284 406
70+ 473 -31.5% 405 -29.1% 335 284

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Pope County, Illinois is $48,013.00.

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 Pope County.

  • Under 25
    $8,000.00
  • 25 to 44
    $0.00
  • 45 to 64
    $55,756.00
  • 65 and over
    $46,513.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Pope 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 Pope County, Illinois is currently $58,660.00.

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.

1.46% of households in Pope 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 Pope County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    26.75%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    25.51%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    15.23%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.63%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    14.21%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3.21%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.46%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Pope County is $22,864.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Pope 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 Pope 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
    6.37%
  • Bachelor's degree
    17.17%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.32%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    63.78%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.36%

Employment

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

The total population of Pope County over the age of 16 is 3,181.

Of those people, a total of 40.80% 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 Pope County is 37.70%.

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 129 43.40% 12.50%
20 to 24 years 147 64.60% 0.00%
25 to 29 years 151 61.60% 26.90%
30 to 34 years 126 64.30% 3.70%
35 to 44 years 391 70.30% 19.30%
45 to 54 years 545 65.50% 0.60%
55 to 59 years 383 37.30% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 330 18.20% 10.00%
65 to 74 years 590 17.50% 1.90%
75 years and over 389 8.70% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Pope 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 2,989 42.30% 7.70%
Black or African American 120 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 21 76.20% 0.00%
Asian 14 57.10% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 0 0.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 37 21.60% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 42 38.10% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 2,968 42.60% 7.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Pope 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 Pope County is 1,199, with median earnings of $31,682.00.

Women in Pope County, Illinois earning approximately 66.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 1,199 $31,682.00
Male 526 $43,333.00
Female 673 $28,977.00

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 134 $49,583.00
Business and Financial 12 $0.00
Computer and Mathematical 26 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 5 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 4 $0.00
Community and Social Service 40 $37,500.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 83 $38,512.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 131 $44,107.00
Healthcare Support 45 $35,179.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 4 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 52 $12,917.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 31 $16,250.00
Personal Care and Service 103 $10,822.00
Sales 135 $30,490.00
Office and Administrative Support 67 $17,250.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 8 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 85 $29,115.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 45 $54,821.00
Production 47 $27,313.00
Transportation and Material Moving 94 $44,286.00

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 104 $46,250.00 30 $52,083.00
Business and Financial 10 $0.00 2 $0.00
Computer and Mathematical 26 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 5 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 4 $0.00
Community and Social Service 14 $51,250.00 26 $30,556.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 11 $0.00 72 $38,250.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 0 $0.00 131 $44,107.00
Healthcare Support 11 $0.00 34 $29,265.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 4 $0.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 8 $0.00 44 $2,499.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 8 $0.00 23 $2,499.00
Personal Care and Service 16 $0.00 87 $11,349.00
Sales 16 $47,500.00 119 $30,490.00
Office and Administrative Support 15 $0.00 52 $29,167.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 8 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 85 $29,115.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 45 $54,821.00 0 $0.00
Production 20 $50,500.00 27 $26,313.00
Transportation and Material Moving 72 $67,708.00 22 $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 1,372 households in Pope County, with an average household size of 2.64 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 883 families in Pope County with an average family size of 3.32 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 726 37 120 489
Average Household Size 2.88 10.46 5.39 1.01
Total Families 726 37 120 0
Average Household Size 2.78 10.14 4.49 0

Poverty

Of the 883 families in Pope County, 12.50% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Pope 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 2,370 housing units in Pope County, Illinois.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 1,372 57.89%
Vacant 998 42.11%

6.92% of the total 2,370 housing units in Pope County are rental units. This is approximately 164 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 1,146 are occupied by the owner - or 48.35% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Pope County is $359.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Pope 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
    62
  • Less than $500
    125
  • $500 to $999
    36
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    3
  • $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 Pope County is $114,400.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    273
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    222
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    188
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    189
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    195
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    79
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    0
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    336
  • 1940 to 1949
    118
  • 1950 to 1959
    180
  • 1960 to 1969
    210
  • 1970 to 1979
    222
  • 1980 to 1989
    315
  • 1990 to 1999
    558
  • 2000 to 2009
    342
  • 2010 to 2013
    89
  • 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 Pope County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    82
  • 1 vehicle available
    454
  • 2 vehicles available
    418
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    418

Commuting to Work

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

32.2 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Pope 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
    40
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    117
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    149
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    95
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    13
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    43
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    276
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    22
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    21
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    123
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    157
  • 90 or more minutes
    30

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Pope 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 Pope County, Illinois

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