Fayette County, Illinois

County in IL, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

21,315

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

41.9

years ∙ half population younger than 41.9, half older

Diversity Index

21.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0.9%

foreign-born population

99.1%Native

0.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Fayette County is a county in Illinois, United States.

Location

County in IL, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.001125° N, 89.017923° W

DMS39° 00′ 04.05″ N, 89° 01′ 04.52″ W

Population Density & area

29.75/sq mi (11.49/km²)

Total Area

725.2 sq mi (1,878.5 km²)

Land Area

716.4 sq mi (1,855.6 km²) · 98.8%

Water Area

8.8 sq mi (22.9 km²) · 1.2%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

52.1% male

Male 52.1%

Female 47.9%

males per 100 females

Fayette County 108.6

Illinois 97.7

United States 98

Nativity

0.9%

foreign-born population

99.1%Native

0.9% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Fayette County 0.9%

Illinois 14.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

41.9

years ∙ half population younger than 41.9, half older

Fayette County

41.9

Illinois

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

66.6

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Fayette County 66.6

Illinois 63.5

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.4%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	60.1%	61.2%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	19.5%	17%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	66.6	63.5	64.4
Child dependency ratio	34	35.7	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	32.5	27.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

88.3%

Black

3.2%

Asian

0.2%

Hispanic

Other

5.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

21.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Fayette County 21.6%

Illinois 60.5%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Fayette County population

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3%	18.8%	19.3%
Mexican	2.1%	14.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	1.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.8%	2.5%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97%	81.2%	80.7%
One race	92%	77.8%	76.4%
White	88.3%	58.1%	57.4%
Black or African American	3.2%	13.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.3%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.2%	5.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.1%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5%	3.4%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63% family

Family 63%

Non family 37%

% family households

Fayette County 63%

Illinois 62.2%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.6

persons per household

Fayette County

2.6

Illinois

2.46

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Fayette County population

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Total households	7,814	5,036,449	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.6	2.46	2.53
Family households	4,922	3,130,978	82,990,528
Average family size	3.2	3.14	3.14
Married couple family	3,965	2,282,435	60,637,388
Other families	957	848,543	22,353,140
Male householder	314	248,521	6,572,819
Female householder	643	600,022	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,892	1,905,471	46,236,968
One-person households	2,521	1,569,881	37,140,836
Male householder	1,377	712,191	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	477	210,051	5,225,110
Female householder	1,144	857,690	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	732	417,870	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	371	335,590	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

8,808

housing units

Fayette County 8,808

Illinois 5,457,452

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

88.7% occupied

Occupied 88.7%

Vacant 11.3%

vacancy rate

Fayette County 11.3%

Illinois 7.7%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

81.2%

Single family houses

81.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

6.9%

Mobile homes

11.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1972

Half of houses were built before 1972, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

21.7%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

25.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

38.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

14.1%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.9	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	8.3%	14.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	57.8%	50.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	33.9%	34.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	3.6%	3.1%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.2%	11.5%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	27.3%	27.7%	25%
3 bedrooms	46%	35.8%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	15.8%	21.7%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1972	1971	1981
Total housing units	8,808	5,457,452	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

80.6% owners

Renter-occupied 19.4%

Owner-occupied 80.6%

homeownership rate

Fayette County 80.6%

Illinois 67.1%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.64

Owner-occupied

2.43

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Fayette County 2.64

Illinois 2.62

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Total occupied units	7,814	5,036,449	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	14.4%	23.3%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	36.6%	38.1%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18%	17.3%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	31%	21.3%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	96.8%	97.5%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	2.1%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	5.5%	11%	8.4%
1 vehicle	29.3%	35.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	37.5%	35.1%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	27.6%	18.3%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	77.5%	79.5%	51.4%
Electricity	17.8%	18.6%	41.3%
Solar	0.2%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	4.4%	0.8%	2%
No fuel used	0.1%	0.8%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.2%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$130,700

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Fayette County

$130,700

Illinois

$263,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.4%

Owners without a mortgage

14.2%

Renters

51.9%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Property value
Median Value	$130,700	$263,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	39.7%	13.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	29.1%	21.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	18.5%	22.3%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	8.9%	27.7%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	3.7%	12.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.1%	2.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	45.7%	60.8%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	54.3%	39.2%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,192	$1,987	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$500	$792	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$798	$1,274	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

17.2%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Fayette County 17.2%

Illinois 37.8%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

12.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Fayette County 12.7%

Illinois 9.6%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

4,161

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.6%

K–12

74.6%

College / Undergraduate

14.8%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

27.3%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Fayette County

27.3%

Illinois

41.4%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	4,161	3,051,569	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	7.6%	6.3%	5.7%
K–12	74.6%	67.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.7%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	21.7%	19.5%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25.4%	20.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.8%	22.1%	21.7%
College or graduate school	17.8%	26.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	14.8%	19.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3%	6.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	27.3%	41.4%	40.9%
School type
Public school	79.5%	80.5%	82%
Private school	20.5%	19.5%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

15,091

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

4.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

8.6%

HS graduate

40.8%

Some college no degree

18.3%

Associates degree

11%

Bachelors degree

12.1%

Graduate or professional degree

5.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

54.3% · 45.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

61.6% · 38.4%

HS graduate

53.5% · 46.5%

Some college no degree

53.2% · 46.8%

Associates degree

50.6% · 49.4%

Bachelors degree

45.9% · 54.1%

Graduate or professional degree

39.8% · 60.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Population (25+)	15,091	8,767,004	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	4.1%	4.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	8.6%	5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	40.8%	25.1%	26%
Some college, no degree	18.3%	19.2%	19.1%
Associate's degree	11%	8.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.2%	37.8%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	12.1%	22.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.1%	15.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	87.3%	90.5%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$43,327

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$42,390

HS graduate

$34,520

Some college or associates

$43,102

Bachelors degree

$58,080

Graduate or professional degree

$74,904

Poverty Rate

4.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

23.7%

HS graduate

15.3%

Some college or associates

9.5%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Fayette County	Illinois	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$43,327	$55,582	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$42,390	$34,655	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$34,520	$40,965	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$43,102	$47,813	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$58,080	$73,326	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$74,904	$91,623	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	23.7%	21.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	15.3%	14.4%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.5%	9.9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.8%	4.5%	4.5%

Insights for Fayette County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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