Population 13,406 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Ford County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Ford County
Household size in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.39 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Ford County are small: just 2.26 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. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.38, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.0 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.7 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.2 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Ford County are younger than 41.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has crept up from 41.0 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and 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 Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Ford County than nationally: 13.8%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Few Illinois counties have a higher share of single-parent households: only four of 102.
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 Ford County
Renters in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.7% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.8% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Ford County rent their homes (27.7%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 46.1% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 6.8 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Ford County: 6.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.7 points, mirroring the country. Ford County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Illinois counties.
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 Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1950 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Ford County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1954, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1950 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the north has the oldest housing. Only one other Illinois county has older 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 Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $651 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $622 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $685 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $923 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$272 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ford County pays $923 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $272 a month from 2006–10, a 42% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 33.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the west.
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 Ford County
Bachelor's degrees in Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.3% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ford County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 1.7 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.0% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.7% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Ford County have finished high school (91.6%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Illinois. The share with a diploma is up 4.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Ford County
| Period | Ford County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Ford County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Illinois overall (6.0%). Unemployment has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, 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).
Ford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford County | 2.26 | 41.4 | 13.8% | 27.7% | 6.7% | 1954 | $923 | 19.3% | 91.6% | 5.2% |
| McLean County | 2.39 | 37.1 | 8.1% | 34.9% | 8.2% | 1980 | $1,093 | 47.3% | 96.2% | 2.9% |
| Benton County | 2.52 | 39.3 | 11.2% | 20.2% | 8.8% | 1955 | $778 | 19.9% | 88.5% | 4.1% |
| Tazewell County | 2.40 | 42.1 | 8.9% | 21.6% | 8.6% | 1968 | $1,007 | 29.0% | 94.2% | 3.6% |
| Tippecanoe County | 2.32 | 33.8 | 9.6% | 46.6% | 12.5% | 1984 | $1,199 | 43.5% | 88.2% | 3.3% |
| Carroll County | 2.57 | 42.6 | 8.2% | 17.8% | 13.6% | 1964 | $900 | 17.2% | 89.0% | 3.5% |
| Fulton County | 2.33 | 44.1 | 10.5% | 23.4% | 13.0% | 1959 | $854 | 18.6% | 91.2% | 6.3% |
| Howard County | 2.35 | 40.6 | 13.4% | 29.4% | 11.0% | 1968 | $948 | 20.3% | 91.3% | 5.7% |
| McDonough County | 2.10 | 38.6 | 8.6% | 36.5% | 15.4% | 1964 | $730 | 31.1% | 94.8% | 7.3% |
| Grant County | 2.30 | 40.4 | 13.9% | 27.3% | 11.1% | 1963 | $926 | 21.8% | 89.5% | 6.6% |
| Blackford County | 2.28 | 44.9 | 9.8% | 26.1% | 10.6% | 1958 | $757 | 15.2% | 90.4% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Beckham County, OK · Wabasha County, MN · Wabash County, IL · Vilas County, WI · Vermillion County, IN · Breathitt County, KY · Braxton County, WV · Bollinger County, MO · Boise County, ID · Bledsoe County, TN
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 Ford 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.