Hardin County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17069 Republican

Located in Illinois, Hardin County has a population of 3,605 residents and a median age of 53.6 years, making it the #2,995 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.0%. The median home value is $103,800, and the median household income is $54,271, which is 28% below the national median.

3,605
Population
#2,995 of 3,222
$54,271
Median Income
-27.8% #2,519 of 3,222
53.6 years
Median Age
+37.8% #87 of 3,222
11.0%
Poverty Rate
-13.0% #995 of 3,222

Demographics

Hardin County has a population of 3,605, making it the #2,995 most populous county in the US. The median age is 53.6 years, which is 37.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.7%
Native Born
0.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hardin County is $54,271, ranking #2,519 out of 3,222 counties — 27.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.0% and unemployment stands at 2.8%.

Income#2,519
$54,271
-27.8%
vs nation
22th percentile
Per Capita#2,483
$29,650
-28.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poverty#995
11.0%
-13.0%
vs nation
69th percentile
Unemployment#567
2.8%
-48.0%
vs nation
82th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hardin County is $103,800 (-63.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $379/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.5%.

Home Value#2,938
$103,800
-63.2%
vs nation
9th percentile
Rent#3,211
$379
-67.4%
vs nation
0th percentile
Homeownership#701
79.5%
+23.5%
vs nation
78th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hardin County, 13.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 60.6% below the national average, ranking #3,004 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.3% −60.6% vs nation
Rank #3,004 of 3,222
7th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hardin County is 71.6 years. 20.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,590
71.6
-4.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,851
20.1%
+2.8%
vs nation
41th percentile
Diabetes#1,396
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
56th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,851
38.5%
+3.2%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,803
5.8
+1.9%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,014
4.7
+4.5%
vs nation
36th percentile
Uninsured Rate#354
5.7%
-45.5%
vs nation
89th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,545
25.9%
-1.8%
vs nation
51th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,055
15.7%
+9.0%
vs nation
35th percentile

Substance Use

20.7% of adults in Hardin County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,442
20.7%
+15.3%
vs nation
22th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,363
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,191
21.5%
+8.0%
vs nation
30th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 35.4 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,614
35.4
+74.8%
vs nation
7th percentile

Families & Children

28.8% of children in Hardin County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,520
20.4
-6.4%
vs nation
49th percentile
Child Poverty#2,780
28.8%
+51.6%
vs nation
12th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hardin County is 64.9%. The mean commute time is 32.3 min, which is 16.9% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.3 min +16.9% vs nation
Rank #555 of 3,222
83th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hardin County voted Republican with a margin of 61.8%. The vote was 18.5% Dem / 80.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +61.8%
18.5% 80.3%
Dem 1,925 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.4%
20.8% 78.2%
Dem 2,162 votes Rep
2016 REP +57.8%
19.6% 77.4%
Dem 2,133 votes Rep
2012 REP +34.1%
31.8% 65.9%
Dem 2,330 votes Rep
2008 REP +19.4%
39.6% 59%
Dem 2,255 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hardin County, Illinois

Hardin County, Illinois has a total population of 3,605, making it the 2,995th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hardin County is 53.6 years, which is 37.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hardin County is $54,271, which ranks #2,519 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.

The median home value in Hardin County is $103,800, 63.2% below the national median. Renters in Hardin County pay a median gross rent of $379 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hardin County, 13.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 60.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.3 min.

Hardin County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.4%).

All data for Hardin 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.