Population 12,745 · 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 Mason County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Mason County
Household size in Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.31 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.22 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Mason County is a place of small households, averaging 2.22 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.27 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Few Illinois counties have smaller households: only nine of 102.
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 Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.6 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.6 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.8, Mason County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.6, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the southwest.
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 Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Mason County than nationally: 9.7%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Mason County
Renters in Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.6% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.2% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.2% of households in Mason County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than half of owners (55.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.4 points, 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 Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Mason County: 13.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 5.0 points, 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 Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Mason County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1959, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the east. Mason County has older homes than the great majority of Illinois counties.
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 Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $604 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $612 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $678 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $780 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$176 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Mason County costs $780 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $176 a month from 2006–10, a 29% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 36.0% 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 west; 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 Mason County
Bachelor's degrees in Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Mason County: 17.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the southwest. Mason County has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of Illinois counties.
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 Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.1% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.0% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Mason County have finished high school (93.0%), above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.9 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Mason County
| Period | Mason County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mason County is close to the national rate: 4.7% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in Illinois as a whole (6.0%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.7 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).
Mason 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County | 2.22 | 44.8 | 9.7% | 18.2% | 13.5% | 1959 | $780 | 17.3% | 93.0% | 4.7% |
| Logan County | 2.23 | 41.8 | 11.9% | 31.5% | 6.7% | 1963 | $825 | 21.3% | 93.0% | 4.0% |
| Schuyler County | 2.16 | 47.8 | 10.2% | 20.6% | 18.8% | 1971 | $876 | 19.1% | 93.1% | 4.8% |
| De Witt County | 2.33 | 44.1 | 8.8% | 21.5% | 9.5% | 1961 | $798 | 23.0% | 93.4% | 4.3% |
| Champaign County | 2.33 | 35.0 | 9.9% | 46.0% | 10.8% | 1981 | $1,115 | 47.8% | 93.1% | 4.6% |
| Vermilion County | 2.36 | 42.0 | 13.9% | 29.8% | 12.3% | 1958 | $843 | 19.6% | 91.2% | 6.6% |
| Knox County | 2.89 | 42.4 | 8.3% | 14.9% | 33.8% | 1965 | $666 | 15.8% | 80.9% | 1.1% |
| Warren County | 2.54 | 44.8 | 8.7% | 17.6% | 8.0% | 1976 | $817 | 17.7% | 92.6% | 4.1% |
| Fountain County | 2.42 | 43.3 | 13.2% | 25.4% | 12.3% | 1962 | $802 | 14.8% | 91.3% | 4.6% |
| Adair County | 2.89 | 35.1 | 8.2% | 39.0% | 19.8% | 1973 | $803 | 40.6% | 94.2% | 3.7% |
| Sullivan County | 2.86 | 43.4 | 9.5% | 24.9% | 31.9% | 1968 | $650 | 15.5% | 88.8% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Moody County, SD · Orange County, IN · Norton County, KS · Norton City, VA · Northwest Arctic Borough, AK · Northumberland County, VA · Morris County, KS · Morrill County, NE · Mora County, NM · Moore 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 Mason 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.