Population 53,230 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Boone County
Household size in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.03 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.99 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.88 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.78 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.25 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Boone County average 2.78 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Household size has dropped from 3.03 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only four of Illinois' 102 counties have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.3 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.9 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.5 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.0 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 41.0, the median age in Boone County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.3, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the west.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Boone County (12.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.2 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Boone County
Renters in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Boone County is largely a place of homeowners: only 18.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 39.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 0.8 points, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Boone County: just 5.2% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 3.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only five have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Boone County are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the south has the oldest housing. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only five have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $791 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $780 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,137 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,234 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$443 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Boone County runs $1,234 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $443 a month since 2006–10, up 56%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.6% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Boone County
Bachelor's degrees in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.5% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Boone County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.2% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.4% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Boone County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 1.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few Illinois counties have a lower share of high school graduates: only five of 102.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Boone County
| Period | Boone County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Boone County: 6.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 3.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Boone County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 2.78 | 41.0 | 12.1% | 18.2% | 5.2% | 1984 | $1,234 | 24.0% | 86.8% | 6.7% |
| Winnebago County | 2.49 | 40.4 | 13.9% | 34.1% | 8.2% | 1972 | $1,110 | 25.1% | 88.5% | 7.6% |
| McHenry County | 2.71 | 41.4 | 9.3% | 17.3% | 4.3% | 1985 | $1,557 | 35.3% | 93.6% | 4.6% |
| Stephenson County | 2.26 | 46.2 | 11.4% | 29.1% | 9.7% | 1960 | $779 | 21.2% | 92.3% | 4.4% |
| Lake County | 2.77 | 39.5 | 10.0% | 25.2% | 5.8% | 1980 | $1,746 | 45.6% | 90.5% | 4.9% |
| Jackson County | 2.39 | 45.4 | 6.3% | 19.3% | 11.0% | 1965 | $853 | 19.1% | 94.3% | 5.5% |
| Jones County | 2.43 | 42.9 | 13.3% | 19.4% | 7.8% | 1968 | $846 | 22.0% | 95.3% | 4.4% |
| Van Buren County | 2.48 | 42.5 | 11.8% | 19.4% | 15.2% | 1977 | $958 | 22.7% | 89.8% | 4.3% |
| Kalamazoo County | 2.47 | 37.5 | 10.8% | 35.5% | 7.6% | 1975 | $1,167 | 40.8% | 94.3% | 5.3% |
| Calhoun County | 2.51 | 41.0 | 12.4% | 27.3% | 11.0% | 1963 | $1,006 | 22.7% | 91.3% | 6.5% |
| Grundy County | 2.40 | 42.5 | 7.8% | 15.5% | 6.7% | 1961 | $859 | 28.3% | 96.7% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Worcester County, MD · Pender County, NC · Carson City, NV · Oxford County, ME · Walla Walla County, WA · Newton County, MO · Genesee County, NY · Rutland County, VT · Columbia County, OR · Washington County, VT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Boone County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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