Population 12,095 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Menard County
Household size in Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Menard County is a place of small households, averaging 2.33 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.48 in 2006–10, 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 Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.1 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.2 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.6 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Menard County skews older than the country: its median age is 43.6, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.9, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the southeast 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 Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Menard County (10.5%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Illinois. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.8 points, 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 Menard County
Renters in Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.5% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Menard County is largely a place of homeowners: only 20.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About four in ten owners (38.9%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.1 points, mirroring the country.
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 Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Menard County than nationally: 6.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy is down 4.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only nine of Illinois' 102 counties have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Menard County leans a little older: the median home dates to 1975, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are newer than in Illinois as a whole, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $707 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $673 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $831 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $879 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$173 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Menard County costs $879 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $173 a month since 2006–10, up 24%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.3% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable 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 Menard County
Bachelor's degrees in Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Menard County (28.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.2 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west 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 Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.3% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Menard County: 94.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.5 points, in line with the national trend. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only five have a higher 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 Menard County
| Period | Menard County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Menard County runs below the national rate: 3.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Menard County has lower unemployment than at least four in five Illinois counties. 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).
Menard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menard County | 2.33 | 43.6 | 10.5% | 20.5% | 6.1% | 1975 | $879 | 28.5% | 94.8% | 3.5% |
| Cass County | 2.49 | 39.1 | 11.3% | 24.1% | 11.2% | 1966 | $745 | 20.3% | 84.7% | 3.9% |
| Macon County | 2.35 | 41.6 | 11.1% | 29.8% | 12.2% | 1965 | $890 | 24.4% | 92.8% | 7.4% |
| Brown County | 1.98 | 42.5 | 9.7% | 28.2% | 9.4% | 1967 | $707 | 13.2% | 78.6% | 2.6% |
| Piatt County | 2.41 | 44.2 | 6.8% | 15.2% | 6.6% | 1972 | $1,124 | 32.5% | 96.3% | 3.0% |
| 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% |
| Montgomery County | 2.44 | 40.4 | 9.7% | 19.7% | 7.0% | 1964 | $860 | 20.5% | 89.4% | 3.5% |
| Boone County | 2.65 | 39.6 | 9.0% | 21.2% | 4.2% | 1988 | $1,477 | 52.6% | 94.8% | 2.5% |
| Hamilton County | 2.73 | 39.1 | 7.3% | 23.9% | 5.7% | 1999 | $1,739 | 62.8% | 97.4% | 2.7% |
| Grundy County | 2.48 | 40.9 | 7.0% | 30.3% | 19.7% | 1962 | $792 | 16.6% | 86.8% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Price County, WI · Kittson County, MN · Knott County, KY · Knox County, MO · Kodiak Island Borough, AK · Koochiching County, MN · Kossuth County, IA · La Paz County, AZ · LaSalle Parish, LA · Labette County, KS
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 Menard 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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