Coles County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Coles County has a population of 46,777 residents and a median age of 37.5 years, making it the #1,063 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.7%. The median home value is $127,400, and the median household income is $56,478, which is 25% below the national median.
Demographics
Coles County has a population of 46,777, making it the #1,063 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Coles County is $56,478, ranking #2,375 out of 3,222 counties — 24.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.7% and unemployment stands at 6.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Coles County is $127,400 (-54.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $780/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Coles County, 26.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 20.2% below the national average, ranking #1,021 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Coles County is 75.3 years. 18.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.3% of adults in Coles County smoke , 38.5% are obese , and 20.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Coles County is 2.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.2 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
18.6% of children in Coles County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 14.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Coles County is 54.6%. The mean commute time is 20.0 min, which is 27.4% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Coles County voted Republican with a margin of 28.5%. The vote was 34.9% Dem / 63.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Coles County, Illinois
Coles County, Illinois has a total population of 46,777, making it the 1,063rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Coles County is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Coles County is $56,478, which ranks #2,375 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.1%.
The median home value in Coles County is $127,400, 54.8% below the national median. Renters in Coles County pay a median gross rent of $780 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Coles County, 26.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.0 min.
Coles County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.9%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.6%).
All data for Coles 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.