St. Clair County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17163 Democrat

Located in Illinois, St. Clair County has a population of 253,694 residents and a median age of 39.9 years, making it the #284 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.6%. The median home value is $180,300, and the median household income is $73,854, which is 2% below the national median.

253,694
Population
#284 of 3,222
$73,854
Median Income
-1.7% #926 of 3,222
39.9 years
Median Age
+2.6% #2,142 of 3,222
13.6%
Poverty Rate
+7.8% #1,657 of 3,222

Demographics

St. Clair County has a population of 253,694, making it the #284 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.7%
Native Born
3.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in St. Clair County is $73,854, ranking #926 out of 3,222 counties — 1.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.6% and unemployment stands at 5.8%.

Income#926
$73,854
-1.7%
vs nation
71th percentile
Per Capita#953
$38,942
-5.6%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poverty#1,657
13.6%
+7.8%
vs nation
49th percentile
Unemployment#2,424
5.8%
+8.9%
vs nation
25th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in St. Clair County is $180,300 (-36.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,090/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.4%.

Home Value#1,638
$180,300
-36.0%
vs nation
49th percentile
Rent#745
$1,090
-6.3%
vs nation
77th percentile
Homeownership#2,449
68.4%
+6.3%
vs nation
24th percentile

Household Type

Education

In St. Clair County, 31.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 5.6% below the national average, ranking #640 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
31.8% −5.6% vs nation
Rank #640 of 3,222
80th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in St. Clair County is 74.1 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,888
74.1
-1.4%
vs nation
38th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,230
17.6%
-10.0%
vs nation
61th percentile
Diabetes#1,664
11.0%
-1.2%
vs nation
47th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,959
38.8%
+4.0%
vs nation
38th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#991
5.4
-4.8%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,012
4.1
-7.8%
vs nation
68th percentile
Uninsured Rate#243
5.3%
-49.2%
vs nation
92th percentile
Physical Inactivity#600
21.9%
-17.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Food Insecurity#718
11.7%
-18.8%
vs nation
77th percentile

Substance Use

16.3% of adults in St. Clair County smoke , 38.2% are obese , and 20.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 36.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,043
16.3%
-9.2%
vs nation
67th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,482
38.2%
+0.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,580
20.0%
+0.7%
vs nation
50th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,451
36.0
+11.5%
vs nation
31th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in St. Clair County is 18.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,428
18.2
+127.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Suicide Rate#204
11.2
-43.0%
vs nation
92th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,021
24.3
+36.1%
vs nation
18th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#931
14.7
-27.2%
vs nation
67th percentile

Families & Children

17.3% of children in St. Clair County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,198
9.3
+36.6%
vs nation
12th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,355
18.8
-13.8%
vs nation
55th percentile
Child Poverty#1,478
17.3%
-8.9%
vs nation
53th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in St. Clair County is 65.3%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 5.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.2 min −5.2% vs nation
Rank #1,656 of 3,222
49th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, St. Clair County voted Democratic with a margin of 7.9%. The vote was 53% Dem / 45.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.8 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +7.9%
53% 45.1%
Dem 119,655 votes Rep
2020 DEM +8.7%
53.3% 44.6%
Dem 128,104 votes Rep
2016 DEM +5.6%
50.5% 44.9%
Dem 119,201 votes Rep
2012 DEM +14.5%
56.4% 41.9%
Dem 118,379 votes Rep
2008 DEM +22.5%
60.6% 38.1%
Dem 125,744 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About St. Clair County, Illinois

St. Clair County, Illinois has a total population of 253,694, making it the 284th most populous county in the United States. The median age in St. Clair County is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in St. Clair County is $73,854, which ranks #926 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.8%.

The median home value in St. Clair County is $180,300, 36.0% below the national median. Renters in St. Clair County pay a median gross rent of $1,090 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In St. Clair County, 31.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.

St. Clair County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 59.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (27.7%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).

All data for St. Clair 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.