Fayette County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Fayette County has a population of 21,315 residents and a median age of 41.9 years, making it the #1,804 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.5%. The median home value is $130,700, and the median household income is $60,944, which is 19% below the national median.
Demographics
Fayette County has a population of 21,315, making it the #1,804 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% above 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 Fayette County is $60,944, ranking #1,997 out of 3,222 counties — 18.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.5% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Fayette County is $130,700 (-53.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $798/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Fayette County, 17.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.0% below the national average, ranking #2,465 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Fayette County is 77.0 years. 17.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.5% of adults in Fayette County smoke , 37.2% are obese , and 21.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 18.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.0 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.0% of children in Fayette County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 28.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Fayette County is 59.7%. The mean commute time is 28.0 min, which is 1.4% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Fayette County voted Republican with a margin of 64.7%. The vote was 17% Dem / 81.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Fayette County, Illinois
Fayette County, Illinois has a total population of 21,315, making it the 1,804th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Fayette County is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Fayette County is $60,944, which ranks #1,997 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.
The median home value in Fayette County is $130,700, 53.6% below the national median. Renters in Fayette County pay a median gross rent of $798 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Fayette County, 17.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.0 min.
Fayette County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.2%).
All data for Fayette 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.