Irish Population in Washington County, IL by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Irish population in Washington County, IL is reported at 1,669 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Each of the five cities in Washington County - Nashville, Okawville, Wamac, Irvington and Hoyleton - reports Irish residents. Their combined count forms most of the 1,669 total, with the rest residing in unincorporated areas. This distribution is detailed in the breakdown below.

Top 5 cities with the largest Irish population in Washington County

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  • 1
    Nashville
    Irish population in Nashville is 289
    9.66% of Nashville population is Irish
  • 2
    Okawville
    Irish population in Okawville is 169
    12.88% of Okawville population is Irish
  • 3
    Wamac
    Irish population in Wamac is 88
    11.08% of Wamac population is Irish
  • 4
    Irvington
    Irish population in Irvington is 65
    10.66% of Irvington population is Irish
  • 5
    Hoyleton
    Irish population in Hoyleton is 26
    5.51% of Hoyleton population is Irish

Overview of Irish population in Washington County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Washington County with 1,669 Irish residents (12.2% of 13,682 total county population), placing the jurisdiction at the 38th percentile nationally among counties and 29th percentile within Illinois for Irish population density, with demographic concentrations among the highest nationwide.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS show Washington County's Irish population of 12.2% surpassing both Illinois's state average of 10.6% and the national average of 9.4%, positioning the county as a high-concentration jurisdiction exceeding demographic benchmarks across all geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Washington County contains 1,669 Irish residents, representing less than 1% of Illinois's total Irish population of 1.3 million.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey documents Washington County with 3 Irish Americans per square mile, below Illinois's average of 24.3 per square mile, placing the county among the least concentrated jurisdictions within the state.
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Washington County Cities Ranked by Irish Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] indicate Irish populations across all five cities, led by Nashville with 289 residents, followed by Okawville with 169 residents. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for the five incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Washington County, IL ranked by Irish population count
Rank by Irish Population
City
Irish Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Washington County Irish Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Nashville 289 9.66% 17.32%
2 Okawville 169 12.88% 10.13%
3 Wamac 88 11.08% 5.27%
4 Irvington 65 10.66% 3.89%
5 Hoyleton 26 5.51% 1.56%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Washington County, IL by their Irish population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Irish population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Irish ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Irish alone, while others identify as Irish along with another race (such as Irish and German).
  • We’ve used the “Irish alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Irish population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Irish alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Irish .
  2. % of Total Washington County Irish Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Irish population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Irish populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Irish population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Irish populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.