Pope County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Pope County has a population of 3,739 residents and a median age of 53.9 years, making it the #2,982 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.3%. The median home value is $143,800, and the median household income is $60,050, which is 20% below the national median.
Demographics
Pope County has a population of 3,739, making it the #2,982 most populous county in the US. The median age is 53.9 years, which is 38.6% 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 Pope County is $60,050, ranking #2,077 out of 3,222 counties — 20.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.3% and unemployment stands at 2.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Pope County is $143,800 (-49.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $449/mo and the homeownership rate is 86.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Pope County, 15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.5% below the national average, ranking #2,723 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Pope County is 75.7 years. 18.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.1% of adults in Pope County smoke , 37.7% are obese , and 21.2% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 35.0 per 100,000.
Families & Children
26.4% of children in Pope County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 27.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Pope County is 61.4%. The mean commute time is 31.6 min, which is 14.4% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Pope County voted Republican with a margin of 60.1%. The vote was 19.5% Dem / 79.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Pope County, Illinois
Pope County, Illinois has a total population of 3,739, making it the 2,982nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pope County is 53.9 years, which is 38.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Pope County is $60,050, which ranks #2,077 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.
The median home value in Pope County is $143,800, 49.0% below the national median. Renters in Pope County pay a median gross rent of $449 per month. The homeownership rate is 86.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Pope County, 15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.6 min.
Pope County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (4.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.0%).
All data for Pope 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.