Jersey County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Jersey County has a population of 21,274 residents and a median age of 43.7 years, making it the #1,808 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.8%. The median home value is $171,900, and the median household income is $80,361, which is 7% above the national median.
Demographics
Jersey County has a population of 21,274, making it the #1,808 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% 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 Jersey County is $80,361, ranking #573 out of 3,222 counties — 6.9% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.8% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Jersey County is $171,900 (-39.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $846/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Jersey County, 22.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 32.8% below the national average, ranking #1,556 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Jersey County is 74.7 years. 16.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.6% of adults in Jersey County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 23.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 17.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.2% of children in Jersey County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 12.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Jersey County is 69.2%. The mean commute time is 30.2 min, which is 9.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Jersey County voted Republican with a margin of 50.2%. The vote was 24.1% Dem / 74.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Jersey County, Illinois
Jersey County, Illinois has a total population of 21,274, making it the 1,808th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jersey County is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Jersey County is $80,361, which ranks #573 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.9% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Jersey County is $171,900, 39.0% below the national median. Renters in Jersey County pay a median gross rent of $846 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Jersey County, 22.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 32.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.2 min.
Jersey County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.6%).
All data for Jersey 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.