Lawrence County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17101 Republican

Located in Illinois, Lawrence County has a population of 15,031 residents and a median age of 40.7 years, making it the #2,161 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.5%. The median home value is $99,100, and the median household income is $55,324, which is 26% below the national median.

15,031
Population
#2,161 of 3,222
$55,324
Median Income
-26.4% #2,455 of 3,222
40.7 years
Median Age
+4.6% #1,887 of 3,222
14.5%
Poverty Rate
+15.0% #1,847 of 3,222

Demographics

Lawrence County has a population of 15,031, making it the #2,161 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.5%
Native Born
1.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lawrence County is $55,324, ranking #2,455 out of 3,222 counties — 26.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.5% and unemployment stands at 8.1%.

Income#2,455
$55,324
-26.4%
vs nation
24th percentile
Per Capita#2,156
$31,637
-23.3%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poverty#1,847
14.5%
+15.0%
vs nation
43th percentile
Unemployment#2,956
8.1%
+52.8%
vs nation
8th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lawrence County is $99,100 (-64.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $836/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.8%.

Home Value#2,999
$99,100
-64.8%
vs nation
7th percentile
Rent#1,845
$836
-28.1%
vs nation
43th percentile
Homeownership#2,035
71.8%
+11.6%
vs nation
37th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lawrence County, 14.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 55.6% below the national average, ranking #2,825 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.9% −55.6% vs nation
Rank #2,825 of 3,222
12th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lawrence County is 74.9 years. 22.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,642
74.9
-0.3%
vs nation
46th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,275
22.2%
+13.5%
vs nation
28th percentile
Diabetes#1,901
11.5%
+3.3%
vs nation
40th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,176
39.6%
+6.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,577
5.7
+0.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,109
4.7
+5.9%
vs nation
33th percentile
Uninsured Rate#705
6.7%
-36.0%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,889
27.5%
+4.2%
vs nation
40th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,693
14.6%
+1.3%
vs nation
46th percentile

Substance Use

20.6% of adults in Lawrence County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 20.6% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,415
20.6%
+14.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,365
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,827
20.6%
+3.7%
vs nation
42th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,152
17.4
-11.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#900
14.3
-20.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,262
17.4
-14.3%
vs nation
55th percentile

Families & Children

20.9% of children in Lawrence County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,089
26.7
+22.2%
vs nation
30th percentile
Child Poverty#2,028
20.9%
+10.0%
vs nation
36th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lawrence County is 50.5%. The mean commute time is 23.0 min, which is 16.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
50.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.0 min −16.5% vs nation
Rank #2,333 of 3,222
28th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lawrence County voted Republican with a margin of 56.3%. The vote was 21% Dem / 77.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +56.3%
21% 77.3%
Dem 6,103 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.0%
22.1% 76.1%
Dem 6,422 votes Rep
2016 REP +53.5%
21.3% 74.8%
Dem 6,039 votes Rep
2012 REP +30.8%
33.6% 64.4%
Dem 5,984 votes Rep
2008 REP +6.0%
46.1% 52.1%
Dem 6,536 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lawrence County, Illinois

Lawrence County, Illinois has a total population of 15,031, making it the 2,161st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lawrence County is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lawrence County is $55,324, which ranks #2,455 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.1%.

The median home value in Lawrence County is $99,100, 64.8% below the national median. Renters in Lawrence County pay a median gross rent of $836 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lawrence County, 14.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.0 min.

Lawrence County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.8% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (7.3%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (6.2%).

All data for Lawrence 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.