Mason County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17125 Republican

Located in Illinois, Mason County has a population of 12,745 residents and a median age of 45.4 years, making it the #2,302 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.8%. The median home value is $103,400, and the median household income is $62,845, which is 16% below the national median.

12,745
Population
#2,302 of 3,222
$62,845
Median Income
-16.4% #1,817 of 3,222
45.4 years
Median Age
+16.7% #685 of 3,222
14.8%
Poverty Rate
+17.7% #1,920 of 3,222

Demographics

Mason County has a population of 12,745, making it the #2,302 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.4 years, which is 16.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mason County is $62,845, ranking #1,817 out of 3,222 counties — 16.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.8% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.

Income#1,817
$62,845
-16.4%
vs nation
44th percentile
Per Capita#1,623
$34,815
-15.6%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poverty#1,920
14.8%
+17.7%
vs nation
40th percentile
Unemployment#1,922
4.9%
-8.2%
vs nation
40th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mason County is $103,400 (-63.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $802/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.8%.

Home Value#2,943
$103,400
-63.3%
vs nation
9th percentile
Rent#2,079
$802
-31.0%
vs nation
35th percentile
Homeownership#384
81.8%
+27.0%
vs nation
88th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mason County, 17.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.4% below the national average, ranking #2,484 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.1% −49.4% vs nation
Rank #2,484 of 3,222
23th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mason County is 73.8 years. 16.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,979
73.8
-1.8%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,007
16.8%
-14.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Diabetes#1,015
9.8%
-12.0%
vs nation
68th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#933
35.0%
-6.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,578
5.7
+0.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,664
4.5
+0.5%
vs nation
47th percentile
Uninsured Rate#644
6.6%
-37.3%
vs nation
80th percentile
Physical Inactivity#637
22.1%
-16.2%
vs nation
80th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,532
14.1%
-2.1%
vs nation
51th percentile

Substance Use

16.1% of adults in Mason County smoke , 35.2% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#973
16.1%
-10.3%
vs nation
69th percentile
Adult Obesity#766
35.2%
-7.1%
vs nation
76th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,213
21.5%
+8.3%
vs nation
30th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 19.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,479
19.5
-1.3%
vs nation
42th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#998
15.0
-16.1%
vs nation
60th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,871
22.6
+11.6%
vs nation
34th percentile

Families & Children

21.9% of children in Mason County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 23.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,755
23.0
+5.2%
vs nation
42th percentile
Child Poverty#2,160
21.9%
+15.3%
vs nation
31th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mason County is 63.4%. The mean commute time is 32.1 min, which is 16.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.1 min +16.4% vs nation
Rank #575 of 3,222
82th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mason County voted Republican with a margin of 42.3%. The vote was 27.8% Dem / 70.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +42.3%
27.8% 70.1%
Dem 6,371 votes Rep
2020 REP +39.5%
29.3% 68.8%
Dem 6,766 votes Rep
2016 REP +31.8%
31.2% 63%
Dem 6,433 votes Rep
2012 REP +6.4%
45.7% 52.1%
Dem 6,272 votes Rep
2008 DEM +5.9%
52% 46.1%
Dem 6,808 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Mason County, Illinois

Mason County, Illinois has a total population of 12,745, making it the 2,302nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mason County is 45.4 years, which is 16.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Mason County is $62,845, which ranks #1,817 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 16.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.

The median home value in Mason County is $103,400, 63.3% below the national median. Renters in Mason County pay a median gross rent of $802 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Mason County, 17.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.1 min.

Mason County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.2% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.6%).

All data for Mason 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.