Whiteside County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Whiteside County has a population of 54,947 residents and a median age of 43.0 years, making it the #946 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.0%. The median home value is $127,100, and the median household income is $67,500, which is 10% below the national median.
Demographics
Whiteside County has a population of 54,947, making it the #946 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% 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 Whiteside County is $67,500, ranking #1,383 out of 3,222 counties — 10.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.0% and unemployment stands at 4.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Whiteside County is $127,100 (-54.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $856/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Whiteside County, 20.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.3% below the national average, ranking #1,923 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Whiteside County is 75.5 years. 17.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.7% of adults in Whiteside County smoke , 35.3% are obese , and 21.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Whiteside County is 3.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
15.7% of children in Whiteside County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 19.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Whiteside County is 64.6%. The mean commute time is 22.6 min, which is 18.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Whiteside County voted Republican with a margin of 14.7%. The vote was 41.7% Dem / 56.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Whiteside County, Illinois
Whiteside County, Illinois has a total population of 54,947, making it the 946th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Whiteside County is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Whiteside County is $67,500, which ranks #1,383 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.
The median home value in Whiteside County is $127,100, 54.9% below the national median. Renters in Whiteside County pay a median gross rent of $856 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Whiteside County, 20.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.6 min.
Whiteside County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
All data for Whiteside 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.