Population 6,322 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brown County
Household size in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.09 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.98 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Brown County are small: just 1.98 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.09 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Brown County has the smallest households of any Illinois county.
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 Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.1 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.3 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Brown County is 42.5 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.8, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southeast.
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 Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Brown County (9.7%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, 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 Brown County
Renters in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.2% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Brown County rent their homes (28.2%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 50.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Brown County as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 1.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
Brown County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1967, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $425 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $549 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $507 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $707 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$282 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Brown County costs $707 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $282 a month since 2006–10, up 66%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.7% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the northwest.
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 Brown County
Bachelor's degrees in Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Brown County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only two have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.4% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.5% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Brown County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 0.8 points, a smaller shift than nationally. No other Illinois county has a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Brown County
| Period | Brown County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Brown County has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Few Illinois counties have lower unemployment: only seven of 102. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.1 points, mirroring the country.
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).
Brown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 1.98 | 42.5 | 9.7% | 28.2% | 9.4% | 1967 | $707 | 13.2% | 78.6% | 2.6% |
| Cass County | 2.49 | 39.1 | 11.3% | 24.1% | 11.2% | 1966 | $745 | 20.3% | 84.7% | 3.9% |
| Adams County | 2.32 | 42.2 | 10.5% | 27.9% | 8.2% | 1965 | $951 | 27.9% | 94.0% | 3.8% |
| Lewis County | 2.88 | 37.4 | 4.9% | 23.7% | 25.9% | 1970 | $673 | 17.7% | 87.7% | 7.3% |
| Menard County | 2.33 | 43.6 | 10.5% | 20.5% | 6.1% | 1975 | $879 | 28.5% | 94.8% | 3.5% |
| Macon County | 2.35 | 41.6 | 11.1% | 29.8% | 12.2% | 1965 | $890 | 24.4% | 92.8% | 7.4% |
| Piatt County | 2.41 | 44.2 | 6.8% | 15.2% | 6.6% | 1972 | $1,124 | 32.5% | 96.3% | 3.0% |
| Grundy County | 2.48 | 40.9 | 7.0% | 30.3% | 19.7% | 1962 | $792 | 16.6% | 86.8% | 2.9% |
| Daviess County | 2.81 | 40.1 | 7.7% | 20.9% | 24.4% | 1978 | $687 | 18.0% | 84.4% | 1.8% |
| DeKalb County | 2.41 | 42.1 | 5.8% | 28.9% | 12.4% | 1983 | $905 | 17.8% | 90.8% | 2.3% |
| Montgomery County | 2.44 | 40.4 | 9.7% | 19.7% | 7.0% | 1964 | $860 | 20.5% | 89.4% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Gilliam County, OR · Menard County, TX · Carson County, TX · Carter County, MO · Washington County, NC · Glascock County, GA · Cass County, IL · Washington County, IL · Catron County, NM · Gilpin County, CO
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 Brown 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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