Saline County, Illinois

County in IL, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

23,213

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

Median Age

43.8

years ∙ half population younger than 43.8, half older

Diversity Index

16.4%

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

Saline County is a county in Illinois, United States.

Location

County in IL, US

Co-ordinates

DEC37.751508° N, 88.545024° W

DMS37° 45′ 05.43″ N, 88° 32′ 42.09″ W

Population Density & area

61.09/sq mi (23.59/km²)

Total Area

386.9 sq mi (1,002.2 km²)

Land Area

380 sq mi (984.2 km²) · 98.2%

Water Area

6.9 sq mi (18 km²) · 1.8%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.6% male

Male 49.6%

Female 50.4%

males per 100 females

Saline County 98.2

Illinois 97.7

United States 98

Nativity

0.9%

foreign-born population

99.1%Native

0.9% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Saline County 0.9%

Illinois 14.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.8

years ∙ half population younger than 43.8, half older

Saline County

43.8

Illinois

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Saline County 73

Illinois 63.5

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.7%	21.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.8%	61.2%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	21.5%	17%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	73	63.5	64.4
Child dependency ratio	35.8	35.7	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	37.2	27.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91.3%

Black

3.1%

Asian

0.5%

Hispanic

2.2%

Other

2.9%

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

16.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Saline County 16.4%

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 Saline County population

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.2%	18.8%	19.3%
Mexican	0.8%	14.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.2%	1.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.1%	2.5%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.8%	81.2%	80.7%
One race	95.2%	77.8%	76.4%
White	91.3%	58.1%	57.4%
Black or African American	3.1%	13.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.5%	5.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.6%	3.4%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

59.7% family

Family 59.7%

Non family 40.3%

% family households

Saline County 59.7%

Illinois 62.2%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.26

persons per household

Saline County

2.26

Illinois

2.46

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Saline County population

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Total households	10,024	5,036,449	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.26	2.46	2.53
Family households	5,981	3,130,978	82,990,528
Average family size	2.89	3.14	3.14
Married couple family	4,285	2,282,435	60,637,388
Other families	1,696	848,543	22,353,140
Male householder	652	248,521	6,572,819
Female householder	1,044	600,022	15,780,321
Non-family households	4,043	1,905,471	46,236,968
One-person households	3,425	1,569,881	37,140,836
Male householder	1,579	712,191	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	772	210,051	5,225,110
Female householder	1,846	857,690	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	1,106	417,870	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	618	335,590	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

11,547

housing units

Saline County 11,547

Illinois 5,457,452

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

86.8% occupied

Occupied 86.8%

Vacant 13.2%

vacancy rate

Saline County 13.2%

Illinois 7.7%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

74.8%

Single family houses

74.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

13.7%

Mobile homes

11.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1972

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

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

15.4%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

33.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

35.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

15.4%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	11.5%	14.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	61%	50.9%	51.6%
7+ rooms	27.5%	34.6%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	3.1%	2.9%
1 bedroom	11.1%	11.5%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	31.6%	27.7%	25%
3 bedrooms	42.6%	35.8%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	12.9%	21.7%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1972	1971	1981
Total housing units	11,547	5,457,452	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

72.5% owners

Renter-occupied 27.5%

Owner-occupied 72.5%

homeownership rate

Saline County 72.5%

Illinois 67.1%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.39

Owner-occupied

1.91

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Saline County 2.39

Illinois 2.62

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Total occupied units	10,024	5,036,449	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	17.6%	23.3%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	39%	38.1%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	16.6%	17.3%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	27%	21.3%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.2%	97.5%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.8%	1.6%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.9%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	9.6%	11%	8.4%
1 vehicle	32.9%	35.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	36%	35.1%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	21.4%	18.3%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	61.6%	79.5%	51.4%
Electricity	34.9%	18.6%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.8%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.4%	0.8%	2%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.8%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.9%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.3%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.3%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$94,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Saline County

$94,300

Illinois

$263,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.2%

Owners without a mortgage

12.6%

Renters

50.5%

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

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Property value
Median Value	$94,300	$263,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	52.9%	13.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	27.4%	21.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	12.9%	22.3%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	5.1%	27.7%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	1.4%	12.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.3%	2.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	39.9%	60.8%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	60.1%	39.2%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,165	$1,987	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$490	$792	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$726	$1,274	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

19.6%

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

Saline County 19.6%

Illinois 37.8%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

10.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Saline County 10.2%

Illinois 9.6%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

4,532

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.8%

K–12

75.2%

College / Undergraduate

15.5%

Graduate / Professional

2.6%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

26%

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

Saline County

26%

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

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	4,532	3,051,569	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	6.8%	6.3%	5.7%
K–12	75.2%	67.3%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.8%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.2%	19.5%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	23.3%	20.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.9%	22.1%	21.7%
College or graduate school	18%	26.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	15.5%	19.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.6%	6.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	26%	41.4%	40.9%
School type
Public school	86.6%	80.5%	82%
Private school	13.4%	19.5%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

16,931

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

4.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.6%

HS graduate

31.7%

Some college no degree

23.8%

Associates degree

14.5%

Bachelors degree

13.9%

Graduate or professional degree

5.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

48% · 52%

9th-12th, no diploma

48.5% · 51.5%

HS graduate

53.4% · 46.6%

Some college no degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Associates degree

43.7% · 56.3%

Bachelors degree

44.5% · 55.5%

Graduate or professional degree

47.6% · 52.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Population (25+)	16,931	8,767,004	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	4.6%	4.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.6%	5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	31.7%	25.1%	26%
Some college, no degree	23.8%	19.2%	19.1%
Associate's degree	14.5%	8.3%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.6%	37.8%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	13.9%	22.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.7%	15.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	89.7%	90.5%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$42,534

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$29,351

HS graduate

$33,901

Some college or associates

$43,119

Bachelors degree

$54,417

Graduate or professional degree

$72,981

Poverty Rate

3.1%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

37.7%

HS graduate

27.6%

Some college or associates

12.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.1%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Saline County	Illinois	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$42,534	$55,582	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$29,351	$34,655	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$33,901	$40,965	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$43,119	$47,813	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$54,417	$73,326	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$72,981	$91,623	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	37.7%	21.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	27.6%	14.4%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	12.7%	9.9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.1%	4.5%	4.5%

Insights for Saline 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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