Population 17,281 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hancock County
Household size in Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Hancock County are small: just 2.30 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 2.39 in 2006–10, as it has 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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.4 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Hancock County skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 44.8 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.9% of households in Hancock County, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only nine of Illinois' 102 counties have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Hancock County
Renters in Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.2% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.7% of households in Hancock County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly six in ten owners (56.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.3% of the housing in Hancock County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Hancock County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1963, 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 1952 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $494 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $585 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $630 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $777 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$283 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Hancock County runs $777 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $283 a month from 2006–10, a 57% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.0% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; 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 Hancock County
Bachelor's degrees in Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.1% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Hancock County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 6.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the north.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.2% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.8% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.5% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Hancock County is above the national rate: 93.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.3 points, as it has nationally. Hancock County has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Illinois counties.
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 Hancock County
| Period | Hancock County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Hancock County than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.3 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).
Hancock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 2.30 | 46.6 | 7.9% | 18.7% | 14.3% | 1963 | $777 | 25.1% | 93.5% | 4.2% |
| Lee County | 2.25 | 43.7 | 13.9% | 23.7% | 9.7% | 1962 | $834 | 21.3% | 92.5% | 4.2% |
| Clark County | 2.69 | 44.7 | 5.4% | 21.7% | 24.1% | 1970 | $639 | 15.2% | 91.2% | 5.5% |
| McDonough County | 2.10 | 38.6 | 8.6% | 36.5% | 15.4% | 1964 | $730 | 31.1% | 94.8% | 7.3% |
| Scotland County | 3.04 | 35.0 | 4.5% | 17.6% | 27.8% | 1974 | $491 | 14.6% | 73.3% | 0.2% |
| Fulton County | 2.33 | 44.1 | 10.5% | 23.4% | 13.0% | 1959 | $854 | 18.6% | 91.2% | 6.3% |
| Schuyler County | 3.12 | 39.8 | 5.2% | 20.1% | 30.1% | 1965 | $411 | 12.3% | 92.8% | 3.3% |
| Putnam County | 2.69 | 44.8 | 7.4% | 17.0% | 31.0% | 1980 | $513 | 23.8% | 95.5% | 3.7% |
| McLean County | 2.39 | 37.1 | 8.1% | 34.9% | 8.2% | 1980 | $1,093 | 47.3% | 96.2% | 2.9% |
| Mercer County | 2.64 | 42.9 | 11.2% | 19.0% | 27.5% | 1971 | $641 | 18.1% | 90.9% | 3.4% |
| Harrison County | 2.56 | 43.9 | 9.0% | 28.6% | 20.1% | 1966 | $759 | 15.7% | 89.7% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Union County, TN · Burnett County, WI · Butts County, GA · Caddo County, OK · Tillamook County, OR · Todd County, MN · Toombs County, GA · Uinta County, WY · Union County, GA · Union County, IL
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 Hancock 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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