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COUNTY

Jackson County

Illinois · 52,501 residents (2025 est.) · 584 sq mi
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Part of the Carbondale micropolitan area
The short version

Jackson County is a county of 53,064 people in Illinois. The median age is 32.4, younger than the US median of 38.9. Households here earn about 42% less than in Illinois as a whole. Owners hold 50% of the housing stock. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $137,300. 21.0% of people here live below the federal poverty line.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
36% 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

Total population
53,064
−11%since 2000
from 59,612 in 2000
52,501 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
91 / sq mi
−9%since 2009
from 100 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
32.4
+18%since 2000
from 27.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
584 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
52K54K57K59K62K19902000201020202024Jackson County
202453K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(2,716)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(2,780)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.3%(2,790)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.4%(4,445)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2416.4%(8,728)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.9%(6,835)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.3%(5,442)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.3%(4,927)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.6%(5,623)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.9%(5,249)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.4%(2,359)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(1,170)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$48,763
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $24,946 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,227
+92%since 2000
from $15,755 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
33.6%
+15.3 ptssince 2009
from 18.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
21.0%
−4.2 ptssince 2000
from 25.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.494
−3%since 2010
from 0.509 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade5.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration2.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.8%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$137,300
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $63,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$782
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $409 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
50.0%
−3.3 ptssince 2000
from 53.3% in 2000
50.0% rent
Vacancy rate
17.2%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.13 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.15 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 17.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.4%
−10.9 ptssince 2009
from 57.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.8
−11%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
22
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic79.6%(47,445)
Black12.9%(7,694)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(1,443)
Asian3%(1,799)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic71.3%(37,830)
Black13.9%(7,393)
Hispanic / Latino5.3%(2,811)
Asian3.7%(1,970)
Other5.8%(3,060)
Diversity Score
58
+25%since 2009
from 47 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
34
−12%since 2020
from 38 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

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.9%(2,059)
Puerto Rican0.7%(354)
Guatemalan0.2%(131)
Ecuadorian0.1%(32)
Spaniard0.1%(32)
Honduran0.1%(27)
Cuban0%(25)
Colombian0%(22)
Argentine0%(16)
Bolivian0%(15)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.9%(491)
Chinese0.6%(324)
Nepalese0.6%(324)
Korean0.5%(273)
Bangladeshi0.2%(132)
Pakistani0.2%(125)
Filipino0.1%(77)
Sri Lankan0.1%(45)
Indonesian0.1%(29)
Taiwanese0%(21)
Malaysian0%(18)
Thai0%(15)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(29)
Ancestry
German19.2%(10,202)
English13.3%(7,077)
Irish10.3%(5,467)
Italian3.8%(1,992)
American3.1%(1,646)
French2.4%(1,286)
Scottish2.4%(1,277)
Polish1.9%(1,033)
Scotch-Irish1.2%(634)
Norwegian0.8%(401)
Swedish0.7%(388)
Dutch0.7%(372)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.6%(341)
Russian0.5%(251)
Welsh0.4%(196)
West Indian0.3%(146)
Czech0.3%(143)
Bulgarian0.2%(131)
British0.2%(121)
Iranian0.2%(117)
Danish0.2%(111)
Hungarian0.2%(109)
Portuguese0.2%(94)
Swiss0.2%(81)
Haitian0.1%(78)
Austrian0.1%(65)
Ukrainian0.1%(64)
Romanian0.1%(60)
Greek0.1%(53)
Turkish0.1%(48)
Canadian0.1%(45)
Nigerian0.1%(45)
Jamaican0.1%(45)
Syrian0.1%(39)
Lithuanian0.1%(33)
Croatian0.1%(29)
Slovak0.1%(27)
Iraqi0%(23)
Ghanaian0%(23)
Moroccan0%(21)
Belgian0%(16)
Lebanese0%(15)
Finnish0%(15)
Slovene0%(14)
Serbian0%(10)
Latvian0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.3%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 32.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.9%
+7.6 ptssince 2000
from 85.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 14.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.3 min
+62%since 2000
from 12.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.5%
−5.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.8%
+8.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
5.1%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
11.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.5%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 9.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
56.6%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 57.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 69.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
17.9%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.5%
+5.1 ptssince 2009
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.8%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Female
50.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Foreign born
5.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.0%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.2%
+6.2 ptssince 2012
from 11.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.3%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
86.5%
+14.4 ptssince 2017
from 72.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.6%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 90.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
78.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 76.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
90.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 90.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 3.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married52.1%(11,566)
Married36.7%(8,144)
Widowed2.7%(596)
Divorced8.5%(1,885)
Women 15+
Never married41.2%(9,298)
Married38.5%(8,700)
Widowed7.3%(1,655)
Divorced13%(2,934)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.3%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.8%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 49.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
27.2%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 24.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
65.0%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 67.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
42.3%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 39.6% 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)27.3%(589)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.3%(481)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.9%(689)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.7%(101)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.3%(72)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,159 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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Jackson County to nearby counties

JACKSON COUNTY VS
Perry County
Income$62,118+27%
Home value$112,600−18%
Population20,160−62%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JACKSON COUNTY VS
Union County
Income$55,728+14%
Home value$131,700−4%
Population16,656−68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JACKSON COUNTY VS
Perry County
Income$62,981+29%
Home value$188,200+37%
Population19,093−64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
JACKSON COUNTY VS
Williamson County
Income$65,604+35%
Home value$156,400+14%
Population67,225+28%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Jackson County, Illinois?

Jackson County, Illinois has about 53,064 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Jackson County, Illinois?

The typical household in Jackson County, Illinois earns about $48,763 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Jackson County, Illinois expensive?

In Jackson County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $137,300, and the typical rent is about $782 a month.

How educated are people in Jackson County, Illinois?

About 36.3% of adults age 25 and over in Jackson County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Jackson County, Illinois?

About 21.0% of people in Jackson County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Jackson County, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Jackson County, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 8,003 residents, a change of about -13 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →