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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

McLean County

Illinois · 170,954 residents · 1,183 sq mi
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McLean County is home to 170,954 people in Illinois. About 45% of adults have finished a four-year degree. This skews young, with a median age of 35.1. The average commute runs 18 minutes. The typical home is worth $166,400, having risen by half since 2000. The foreign-born share is 7%.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
45% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
170,954
+14%since 2000
from 150,433 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
35.1
+15%since 2000
from 30.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,183 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
125K138K151K164K178K19902000201020202024McLean County
2024172K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.5%(9,440)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(10,166)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(10,677)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 198.9%(15,259)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410.6%(18,097)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.7%(21,716)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.3%(21,042)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.4%(19,485)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412%(20,482)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.7%(14,909)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844%(6,821)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.7%(2,860)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,037
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,021 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$34,496
+55%since 2000
from $22,227 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
45.6%
+9.8 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
15.2%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Other services18.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration17.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Information10.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade5.6%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$166,400
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $109,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$842
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $533 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
64.2%
−2.3 ptssince 2000
from 66.5% in 2000
35.8% rent
Persons per household
2.47 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.45 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.4
−7%since 2009
from 2.6 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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87.9%(132,224)
Black6.1%(9,189)
Hispanic / Latino2.5%(3,833)
Asian2%(3,072)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic75.7%(129,440)
Black8.6%(14,699)
Hispanic / Latino6.2%(10,524)
Asian4.7%(8,108)
Other2.5%(4,296)
Segregation Score
28
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
Mexican3.4%(5,787)
Puerto Rican0.5%(820)
Venezuelan0.2%(261)
Colombian0.1%(223)
Guatemalan0.1%(207)
Cuban0.1%(140)
Dominican0.1%(115)
Spaniard0.1%(106)
Peruvian0%(65)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Bolivian0%(44)
Argentine0%(43)
Chilean0%(29)
Honduran0%(19)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3.1%(5,348)
Chinese0.8%(1,346)
Filipino0.4%(749)
Vietnamese0.2%(336)
Korean0.2%(311)
Japanese0.1%(193)
Burmese0.1%(101)
Thai0.1%(100)
Pakistani0.1%(92)
Sri Lankan0.1%(90)
Taiwanese0%(28)
Laotian0%(25)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Mongolian0%(23)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0%(9)
Ancestry
German27.1%(46,721)
Irish14.7%(25,319)
English10.6%(18,227)
American4.3%(7,326)
Polish3.4%(5,840)
Italian3.2%(5,513)
Swedish2.1%(3,559)
French1.9%(3,272)
Scottish1.7%(2,980)
Norwegian1.3%(2,287)
Dutch1.2%(2,105)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.8%(1,319)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(1,143)
Welsh0.6%(960)
Danish0.5%(923)
Czech0.5%(891)
British0.5%(877)
Swiss0.5%(836)
Greek0.4%(608)
Hungarian0.3%(559)
Austrian0.2%(404)
Slovak0.2%(351)
Croatian0.2%(306)
Lithuanian0.2%(277)
Belgian0.1%(258)
West Indian0.1%(203)
Finnish0.1%(187)
Arab0.1%(181)
Lebanese0.1%(174)
Nigerian0.1%(174)
Portuguese0.1%(173)
Canadian0.1%(150)
Slovene0.1%(133)
Romanian0.1%(132)
Ukrainian0.1%(114)
Brazilian0.1%(103)
Haitian0.1%(92)
Ethiopian0.1%(91)
Palestinian0.1%(87)
Serbian0%(67)
Iranian0%(63)
Jamaican0%(61)
Iraqi0%(50)
Jordanian0%(42)
Egyptian0%(29)
Syrian0%(26)
Bulgarian0%(20)
Latvian0%(20)
Armenian0%(19)
Moroccan0%(18)
Israeli0%(15)
Turkish0%(15)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
44.6%
+8.4 ptssince 2000
from 36.2% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
96.2%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 90.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
15.2%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.1 min
+60%since 2000
from 11.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
79.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.3%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 6.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
64.3%
−5.4 ptssince 2011
from 69.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.8%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
43.7%
+4.9 ptssince 2009
from 38.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
Female
51.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
Foreign born
6.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
4.0%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 7.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
94.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
84.2%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married41.9%(28,827)
Married47.8%(32,911)
Widowed2.6%(1,787)
Divorced7.7%(5,326)
Women 15+
Never married38.1%(27,753)
Married45%(32,748)
Widowed6.5%(4,697)
Divorced10.5%(7,621)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.0%
−3.6 ptssince 2013
from 7.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
64.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
18.6%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
14.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
12.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
79.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
26.5%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.4%(1,752)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)16.1%(1,316)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.2%(2,795)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War6.6%(541)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.6%(213)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 8,171 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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Pop 175,779
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Head to head

Compare McLean County to nearby counties

MCLEAN COUNTY VS
De Witt County
Income$71,678+5%
Home value$130,300−22%
Population15,118−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCLEAN COUNTY VS
Woodford County
Income$91,483+34%
Home value$197,600+19%
Population38,111−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCLEAN COUNTY VS
Livingston County
Income$73,790+8%
Home value$142,200−15%
Population35,057−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MCLEAN COUNTY VS
Ford County
Income$62,439−8%
Home value$122,000−27%
Population13,216−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in McLean County, Illinois?

McLean County, Illinois has about 170,954 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in McLean County, Illinois earns about $68,037 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is McLean County, Illinois expensive?

In McLean County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $166,400, and the typical rent is about $842 a month.

How educated are people in McLean County, Illinois?

About 44.6% of adults age 25 and over in McLean County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in McLean County, Illinois?

About 15.2% of people in McLean County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has McLean County, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, McLean County, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 41,774 residents, a change of about 32 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 →