Population 283,292 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Winnebago County
Household size in Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Winnebago County run a little small, averaging 2.49 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.60, a much bigger shift than nationally. Compared with other Illinois counties, though, Winnebago County has larger households than most.
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 Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.0 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.4 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.4, the median age in Winnebago County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.5, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the east.
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 Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Winnebago County than nationally: 13.9%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.8 points, even as the national share fell. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only two have a higher 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 Winnebago County
Renters in Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.5% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.1% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Winnebago County is about as common as it is nationally: 34.1% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 42.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share has risen 4.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only seven of Illinois' 102 counties have a higher share of renters.
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 Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Winnebago County is close to the national rate: 8.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.6 points, in line with the national trend. Winnebago County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five 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 Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Winnebago County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The picture is much the same across Illinois. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, 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 Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $761 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $838 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $913 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,110 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$349 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Winnebago County runs $1,110 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $349 a month from 2006–10, a 46% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 Winnebago County
Bachelor's degrees in Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.6% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Winnebago County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
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 Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.5% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Winnebago County is close to the national rate: 88.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Illinois as a whole (90.3%). The share with a diploma has risen 3.8 points since 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 Winnebago County
| Period | Winnebago County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Winnebago County runs well above the national rate: 7.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only three have higher unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.8 points, in line with the national trend.
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).
Winnebago 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago County | 2.49 | 40.4 | 13.9% | 34.1% | 8.2% | 1972 | $1,110 | 25.1% | 88.5% | 7.6% |
| Boone County | 2.78 | 41.0 | 12.1% | 18.2% | 5.2% | 1984 | $1,234 | 24.0% | 86.8% | 6.7% |
| Stephenson County | 2.26 | 46.2 | 11.4% | 29.1% | 9.7% | 1960 | $779 | 21.2% | 92.3% | 4.4% |
| McHenry County | 2.71 | 41.4 | 9.3% | 17.3% | 4.3% | 1985 | $1,557 | 35.3% | 93.6% | 4.6% |
| Lake County | 2.77 | 39.5 | 10.0% | 25.2% | 5.8% | 1980 | $1,746 | 45.6% | 90.5% | 4.9% |
| Jo Daviess County | 2.12 | 50.8 | 8.7% | 19.6% | 17.5% | 1969 | $859 | 28.9% | 93.2% | 3.6% |
| Dubuque County | 2.38 | 40.0 | 7.9% | 26.7% | 6.0% | 1974 | $1,015 | 33.3% | 93.9% | 3.5% |
| Delaware County | 2.36 | 45.3 | 7.3% | 20.4% | 10.4% | 1967 | $739 | 22.3% | 93.3% | 1.7% |
| Buchanan County | 2.53 | 40.7 | 10.2% | 17.9% | 7.6% | 1972 | $973 | 22.2% | 93.6% | 2.8% |
| Van Buren County | 2.48 | 42.5 | 11.8% | 19.4% | 15.2% | 1977 | $958 | 22.7% | 89.8% | 4.3% |
| Black Hawk County | 2.37 | 37.0 | 10.5% | 33.8% | 8.2% | 1968 | $1,030 | 32.7% | 93.3% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Sumner County, TN · Yolo County, CA · Yavapai County, AZ · Yakima County, WA · Washtenaw County, MI · Chesterfield County, VA · Clay County, MO · Clermont County, OH · Delaware County, OH · Deschutes County, OR
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 Winnebago 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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