Macon County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17115 Republican

Located in Illinois, Macon County has a population of 101,849 residents and a median age of 40.6 years, making it the #610 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.0%. The median home value is $127,300, and the median household income is $62,666, which is 17% below the national median.

101,849
Population
#610 of 3,222
$62,666
Median Income
-16.6% #1,830 of 3,222
40.6 years
Median Age
+4.4% #1,914 of 3,222
15.0%
Poverty Rate
+19.0% #1,947 of 3,222

Demographics

Macon County has a population of 101,849, making it the #610 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.3%
Native Born
2.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Macon County is $62,666, ranking #1,830 out of 3,222 counties — 16.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.0% and unemployment stands at 6.8%.

Income#1,830
$62,666
-16.6%
vs nation
43th percentile
Per Capita#1,323
$36,605
-11.3%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poverty#1,947
15.0%
+19.0%
vs nation
40th percentile
Unemployment#2,756
6.8%
+27.7%
vs nation
14th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Macon County is $127,300 (-54.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $847/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.2%.

Home Value#2,544
$127,300
-54.8%
vs nation
21th percentile
Rent#1,770
$847
-27.2%
vs nation
45th percentile
Homeownership#2,274
70.2%
+8.9%
vs nation
29th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Macon County, 24.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 27.6% below the national average, ranking #1,312 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.4% −27.6% vs nation
Rank #1,312 of 3,222
59th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Macon County is 74.6 years. 18.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,743
74.6
-0.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,489
18.6%
-4.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Diabetes#1,398
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
56th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,276
39.9%
+6.9%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,354
5.5
-1.8%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,594
4.4
-0.4%
vs nation
49th percentile
Uninsured Rate#280
5.4%
-48.1%
vs nation
91th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,474
25.6%
-3.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,393
13.7%
-4.9%
vs nation
56th percentile

Substance Use

18.3% of adults in Macon County smoke , 37.1% are obese , and 20.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,752
18.3%
+1.9%
vs nation
44th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,169
37.1%
-2.1%
vs nation
63th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,719
20.4%
+2.4%
vs nation
45th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,110
29.0
-10.3%
vs nation
48th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Macon County is 10.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,200
10.6
+32.2%
vs nation
22th percentile
Suicide Rate#374
12.7
-35.9%
vs nation
85th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,419
17.8
-0.2%
vs nation
43th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#657
12.6
-37.6%
vs nation
77th percentile

Families & Children

22.6% of children in Macon County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 25.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#820
7.0
+2.7%
vs nation
40th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,981
25.5
+16.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Child Poverty#2,260
22.6%
+19.0%
vs nation
28th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Macon County is 61.5%. The mean commute time is 21.4 min, which is 22.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.4 min −22.4% vs nation
Rank #2,638 of 3,222
18th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Macon County voted Republican with a margin of 18.9%. The vote was 39.8% Dem / 58.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +18.9%
39.8% 58.7%
Dem 45,224 votes Rep
2020 REP +17.7%
40.2% 57.9%
Dem 49,387 votes Rep
2016 REP +18.1%
38.5% 56.6%
Dem 47,283 votes Rep
2012 REP +5.3%
46.5% 51.8%
Dem 48,742 votes Rep
2008 DEM +1.1%
49.8% 48.7%
Dem 51,216 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Macon County, Illinois

Macon County, Illinois has a total population of 101,849, making it the 610th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Macon County is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Macon County is $62,666, which ranks #1,830 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 16.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.8%.

The median home value in Macon County is $127,300, 54.8% below the national median. Renters in Macon County pay a median gross rent of $847 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Macon County, 24.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.4 min.

Macon County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 73.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (16.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).

All data for Macon 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.