United States › Illinois › Fayette County COUNTY
Fayette County Illinois · 20,790 residents (2025 est.) · 716 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
With 21,315 people, Fayette County is a county in Illinois. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 17% of adults. 81% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $130,700, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 1%. Households here earn about 27% less than in Illinois as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 21,802 in 2000
20,790 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 29 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 37.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
21K 21K 22K 22K 22K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Fayette County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $60,944
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,873 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,357 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 19.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 12.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.435 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 6.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6%
Public administration 3.3%
Transportation & warehousing 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.8%
Education & health services 0.5%
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$130,700
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $59,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$798
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $384 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 79.8% in 2000
19.4% rent
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 21.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 40.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 1.8 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 93.5%(20,386)
Hispanic / Latino 0.8%(174)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 88.3%(18,815)
from 6 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 56 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data from 9.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 72.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 2.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 79.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 61.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 72.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 64.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 82.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 88.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 95.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 34.8%(3,213)
Women 15+
Never married 26.8%(2,268)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 48.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 25.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 62.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 44.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 21%(240)
Share of the 1,141 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Fayette County Head to head
Compare Fayette County to nearby counties FAYETTE COUNTY VS
Effingham County
Income $80,404 +32%
Home value $189,500 +45%
Population 34,519 +66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FAYETTE COUNTY VS
Bond County
Income $65,959 +8%
Home value $145,700 +11%
Population 16,959 −18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FAYETTE COUNTY VS
Marion County
Income $61,240 same
Home value $103,000 −21%
Population 36,382 +75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FAYETTE COUNTY VS
Shelby County
Income $72,095 +18%
Home value $137,100 +5%
Population 20,576 −1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Fayette County, Illinois? Fayette County, Illinois has about 21,315 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Fayette County, Illinois? The typical household in Fayette County, Illinois earns about $60,944 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Fayette County, Illinois expensive? In Fayette County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $130,700, and the typical rent is about $798 a month.
How educated are people in Fayette County, Illinois? About 17.2% of adults age 25 and over in Fayette County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Fayette County, Illinois? About 15.5% of people in Fayette County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Fayette County, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Fayette County, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 422 residents, a change of about 2 percent over that period.
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