Population 101,849 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Macon County
Household size in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Macon County are small: just 2.35 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 edged down from 2.41, mirroring the country.
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 Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.3 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.0 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Macon County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.6, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 40.8, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
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 Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Macon County (11.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while 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 Macon County
Renters in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.8% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Macon County rent their homes (29.8%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About half of owners (49.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is up 1.0 points from 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 Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Macon County: 12.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 1.1 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 Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Macon County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1965, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $650 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $733 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $739 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $890 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$240 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Macon County pays $890 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $240 a month from 2006–10, a 37% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.9% 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 center; the highest are in the northeast.
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 Macon County
Bachelor's degrees in Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.8% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.4% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Macon County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.6% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Macon County is above the national rate: 92.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 6.0 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 Macon County
| Period | Macon County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Macon County: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Few Illinois counties have higher unemployment: only five of 102. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Macon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | 2.35 | 41.6 | 11.1% | 29.8% | 12.2% | 1965 | $890 | 24.4% | 92.8% | 7.4% |
| Douglas County | 2.61 | 39.5 | 9.4% | 23.1% | 9.6% | 1968 | $844 | 20.6% | 86.0% | 2.5% |
| Sangamon County | 2.34 | 41.8 | 10.8% | 28.7% | 9.6% | 1974 | $1,114 | 36.7% | 94.2% | 5.8% |
| Menard County | 2.33 | 43.6 | 10.5% | 20.5% | 6.1% | 1975 | $879 | 28.5% | 94.8% | 3.5% |
| Morgan County | 2.39 | 43.1 | 10.5% | 27.2% | 13.8% | 1964 | $800 | 22.9% | 89.0% | 5.5% |
| Cass County | 2.49 | 39.1 | 11.3% | 24.1% | 11.2% | 1966 | $745 | 20.3% | 84.7% | 3.9% |
| Vermillion County | 2.36 | 44.0 | 9.1% | 24.8% | 10.7% | 1962 | $766 | 17.6% | 93.5% | 4.4% |
| Parke County | 2.54 | 44.0 | 11.1% | 17.6% | 21.0% | 1970 | $771 | 15.4% | 82.1% | 4.1% |
| Brown County | 1.98 | 42.5 | 9.7% | 28.2% | 9.4% | 1967 | $707 | 13.2% | 78.6% | 2.6% |
| Adams County | 2.32 | 42.2 | 10.5% | 27.9% | 8.2% | 1965 | $951 | 27.9% | 94.0% | 3.8% |
| Marion County | 2.48 | 39.4 | 14.7% | 30.7% | 12.4% | 1969 | $809 | 24.7% | 90.6% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: St. Mary's County, MD · Etowah County, AL · Flathead County, MT · Floyd County, GA · Fond du Lac County, WI · Franklin County, MO · Garland County, AR · Geauga County, OH · Grand Traverse County, MI · Hanover County, VA
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 Macon 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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