Will County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17197 Democrat

Located in Illinois, Will County has a population of 701,462 residents and a median age of 39.1 years, making it the #97 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.3%. The median home value is $319,600, and the median household income is $109,984, which is 46% above the national median.

701,462
Population
#97 of 3,222
$109,984
Median Income
+46.4% #98 of 3,222
39.1 years
Median Age
+0.5% #2,350 of 3,222
7.3%
Poverty Rate
-41.8% #254 of 3,222

Demographics

Will County has a population of 701,462, making it the #97 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

86.5%
Native Born
13.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Will County is $109,984, ranking #98 out of 3,222 counties — 46.4% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.3% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.

Income#98
$109,984
+46.4%
vs nation
97th percentile
Per Capita#290
$47,516
+15.2%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poverty#254
7.3%
-41.8%
vs nation
92th percentile
Unemployment#1,962
4.9%
-7.1%
vs nation
39th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Will County is $319,600 (+13.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,462/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.8%.

Home Value#536
$319,600
+13.4%
vs nation
83th percentile
Rent#272
$1,462
+25.7%
vs nation
92th percentile
Homeownership#274
82.8%
+28.5%
vs nation
92th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Will County, 37.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 11.2% above the national average, ranking #362 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
37.5% +11.2% vs nation
Rank #362 of 3,222
89th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Will County is 78.5 years. 15.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#501
78.5
+4.5%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#528
15.0%
-23.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Diabetes#1,082
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,680
38.0%
+1.9%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#292
4.8
-14.4%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#316
3.6
-18.8%
vs nation
90th percentile
Uninsured Rate#430
5.9%
-43.4%
vs nation
86th percentile
Physical Inactivity#399
20.7%
-21.5%
vs nation
87th percentile
Food Insecurity#123
8.8%
-38.9%
vs nation
96th percentile

Substance Use

12.5% of adults in Will County smoke , 36.6% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#235
12.5%
-30.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,041
36.6%
-3.4%
vs nation
67th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,209
21.5%
+8.2%
vs nation
30th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#713
22.2
-31.4%
vs nation
66th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Will County is 4.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 10.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#446
4.1
-49.3%
vs nation
71th percentile
Suicide Rate#128
10.2
-48.5%
vs nation
95th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#244
8.4
-52.8%
vs nation
90th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#208
8.4
-58.5%
vs nation
93th percentile

Families & Children

9.3% of children in Will County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 8.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#392
5.4
-20.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#272
8.1
-62.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Child Poverty#265
9.3%
-51.0%
vs nation
92th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Will County is 71.2%. The mean commute time is 34.4 min, which is 24.7% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
34.4 min +24.7% vs nation
Rank #332 of 3,222
90th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Will County voted Democratic with a margin of 1.6%. The vote was 50.1% Dem / 48.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.7 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +1.6%
50.1% 48.5%
Dem 324,971 votes Rep
2020 DEM +8.3%
53.1% 44.8%
Dem 346,266 votes Rep
2016 DEM +5.6%
50.2% 44.6%
Dem 291,010 votes Rep
2012 DEM +3.7%
51.1% 47.4%
Dem 249,708 votes Rep
2008 DEM +13.2%
56% 42.8%
Dem 286,420 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Will County, Illinois

Will County, Illinois has a total population of 701,462, making it the 97th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Will County is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Will County is $109,984, which ranks #98 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 46.4% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.

The median home value in Will County is $319,600, 13.4% above the national median. Renters in Will County pay a median gross rent of $1,462 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Will County, 37.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 11.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 34.4 min.

Will County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 58.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (11.6%).

All data for Will 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.