Winnebago County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Winnebago County has a population of 283,292 residents and a median age of 39.6 years, making it the #255 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.6%. The median home value is $164,500, and the median household income is $65,837, which is 12% below the national median.
Demographics
Winnebago County has a population of 283,292, making it the #255 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.6 years, which is 1.8% 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 Winnebago County is $65,837, ranking #1,560 out of 3,222 counties — 12.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.6% and unemployment stands at 7.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Winnebago County is $164,500 (-41.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,021/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Winnebago County, 25.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 25.2% below the national average, ranking #1,197 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Winnebago County is 74.5 years. 22.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.6% of adults in Winnebago County smoke , 38.5% are obese , and 19.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 53.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Winnebago County is 9.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.3% of children in Winnebago County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Winnebago County is 62.3%. The mean commute time is 25.2 min, which is 8.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Winnebago County voted Democratic with a margin of 0.5%. The vote was 49.5% Dem / 49% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County, Illinois has a total population of 283,292, making it the 255th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Winnebago County is 39.6 years, which is 1.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Winnebago County is $65,837, which ranks #1,560 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.3%.
The median home value in Winnebago County is $164,500, 41.6% below the national median. Renters in Winnebago County pay a median gross rent of $1,021 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Winnebago County, 25.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.2 min.
Winnebago County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 63.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (11.6%).
All data for Winnebago 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.