Brown County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17009 Republican

Located in Illinois, Brown County has a population of 6,322 residents and a median age of 41.0 years, making it the #2,789 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.2%. The median home value is $150,300, and the median household income is $67,917, which is 10% below the national median.

6,322
Population
#2,789 of 3,222
$67,917
Median Income
-9.6% #1,346 of 3,222
41.0 years
Median Age
+5.4% #1,795 of 3,222
9.2%
Poverty Rate
-26.6% #628 of 3,222

Demographics

Brown County has a population of 6,322, making it the #2,789 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.4%
Native Born
1.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Brown County is $67,917, ranking #1,346 out of 3,222 counties — 9.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.2% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#1,346
$67,917
-9.6%
vs nation
58th percentile
Per Capita#2,883
$26,202
-36.5%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poverty#628
9.2%
-26.6%
vs nation
81th percentile
Unemployment#701
3.1%
-42.3%
vs nation
78th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Brown County is $150,300 (-46.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $698/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.8%.

Home Value#2,251
$150,300
-46.7%
vs nation
30th percentile
Rent#2,739
$698
-40.0%
vs nation
15th percentile
Homeownership#2,050
71.8%
+11.5%
vs nation
36th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Brown County, 12.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.7% below the national average, ranking #3,063 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.6% −62.7% vs nation
Rank #3,063 of 3,222
5th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Brown County is 77.9 years. 21.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 3.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#655
77.9
+3.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,113
21.4%
+9.4%
vs nation
33th percentile
Diabetes#1,982
11.7%
+5.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,290
40.0%
+7.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,047
5.4
-4.3%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,998
4.7
+4.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Uninsured Rate#30
3.8%
-63.3%
vs nation
99th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,642
26.4%
+0.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Food Insecurity#649
11.5%
-20.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Substance Use

19.6% of adults in Brown County smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 20.6% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,147
19.6%
+9.1%
vs nation
32th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,235
40.6%
+7.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,844
20.6%
+3.9%
vs nation
41th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

11.8% of children in Brown County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#886
14.8
-32.3%
vs nation
71th percentile
Child Poverty#556
11.8%
-37.9%
vs nation
82th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Brown County is 47.0%. The mean commute time is 18.3 min, which is 33.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
47.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
18.3 min −33.6% vs nation
Rank #2,978 of 3,222
8th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Brown County voted Republican with a margin of 59.9%. The vote was 19% Dem / 78.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +59.9%
19% 78.9%
Dem 2,455 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.3%
19.2% 76.5%
Dem 2,525 votes Rep
2016 REP +55.7%
20.3% 76%
Dem 2,336 votes Rep
2012 REP +30.7%
33.3% 64%
Dem 2,362 votes Rep
2008 REP +21.7%
38.4% 60.1%
Dem 2,569 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Brown County, Illinois

Brown County, Illinois has a total population of 6,322, making it the 2,789th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Brown County is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Brown County is $67,917, which ranks #1,346 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Brown County is $150,300, 46.7% below the national median. Renters in Brown County pay a median gross rent of $698 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Brown County, 12.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 18.3 min.

Brown County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 74.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (17.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.7%).

All data for Brown County, Illinois comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.