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West Frankfort, IL

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

7,118
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

39
years ∙ half population younger than 39, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
8%
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

West Frankfort is a city within Franklin County, Illinois, United States.
Location
City in Franklin County, IL, US
Co-ordinates
DEC37.899495° N, 88.930814° W
DMS37° 53′ 58.18″ N, 88° 55′ 50.93″ W

Population Density & area

1,429/sq mi (551.4/km²)
Total Area
5.02 sq mi (13.01 km²)
Land Area
4.98 sq mi (12.91 km²) · 99.26%
Water Area
0.04 sq mi (0.1 km²) · 0.74%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.3% male
Male 50.3%
Female 49.7%
males per 100 females
West Frankfort 101.4
Franklin County 98.7
Illinois 97.7

Nativity

0.9%
foreign-born population
99.1%Native
0.9% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
West Frankfort 0.9%
Franklin County 1.2%
Illinois 14.7%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

39
years ∙ half population younger than 39, half older
West Frankfort
39
Franklin County
43.4
Illinois
39

Dependency ratio

Low High
68.6
dependents per 100 working-age adults
West Frankfort 68.6
Franklin County 75.7
Illinois 63.5

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 25.9% 22.1% 21.8%
Working age (18-64) 59.3% 56.9% 61.2%
Senior (65+) 14.8% 21% 17%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 68.6 75.7 63.5
Child dependency ratio 43.7 38.8 35.7
Old-age dependency ratio 24.9 36.9 27.8
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
95.9%
Black
0.4%
Asian
0.1%
Hispanic
1.4%
Other
2.2%
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

Low High
8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
West Frankfort 8%
Franklin County 11.3%
Illinois 60.5%
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 West Frankfort population
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Hispanic or Latino 1.4% 2% 18.8%
Mexican 0.9% 1.5% 14.4%
Puerto Rican 0.2% 0.1% 1.6%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0.4% 0.4% 2.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino 98.6% 98% 81.2%
One race 96.6% 95.2% 77.8%
White 95.9% 94.1% 58.1%
Black or African American 0.4% 0.4% 13.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%
Asian 0.1% 0.4% 5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0% 0.2% 0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 2% 2.8% 3.4%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

57.8% family
Family 57.8%
Non family 42.2%
% family households
West Frankfort 57.8%
Franklin County 62.5%
Illinois 62.2%

Average household size

2.35
persons per household
West Frankfort
2.35
Franklin County
2.28
Illinois
2.46

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of West Frankfort population
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Total households 2,978 16,137 5,036,449
Average houshold size 2.35 2.28 2.46
Family households 1,720 10,091 3,130,978
Average family size 2.98 2.87 3.14
Married couple family 1,011 7,060 2,282,435
Other families 709 3,031 848,543
Male householder 118 906 248,521
Female householder 591 2,125 600,022
Non-family households 1,258 6,046 1,905,471
One-person households 1,105 5,317 1,569,881
Male householder 631 2,742 712,191
Senior (65+) living alone 192 1,216 210,051
Female householder 474 2,575 857,690
Senior (65+) living alone 205 1,493 417,870
Other living arrangements 153 729 335,590

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,533
housing units
West Frankfort 3,533
Franklin County 18,462
Illinois 5,457,452

Occupancy status

84.3% occupied
Occupied 84.3%
Vacant 15.7%
vacancy rate
West Frankfort 15.7%
Franklin County 12.6%
Illinois 7.7%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

80%
Single family houses
Single family houses
80%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
15%
Mobile homes
5%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1958
Half of houses were built before 1958, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
26.3%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
44.9%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
19.4%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
9.3%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 5.4 5.5 5.6
1–3 rooms 14.7% 8.6% 14.6%
4–6 rooms 58.5% 61.6% 50.9%
7+ rooms 26.9% 30% 34.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 2.9% 1.2% 3.1%
1 bedroom 14.3% 8.5% 11.5%
2 bedrooms 35.7% 36.8% 27.7%
3 bedrooms 36.1% 43% 35.8%
4+ bedrooms 11% 10.5% 21.7%
At a glance
Median year built 1958 1964 1971
Total housing units 3,533 18,462 5,457,452
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

61.6% owners
Renter-occupied 38.4%
Owner-occupied 61.6%
homeownership rate
West Frankfort 61.6%
Franklin County 74.1%
Illinois 67.1%

Average household size

2.27
Owner-occupied
2.47
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
West Frankfort 2.27
Franklin County 2.3
Illinois 2.62

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Total occupied units 2,978 16,137 5,036,449
Year moved in
2020 or later 26.6% 20.7% 23.3%
2010 to 2019 36.6% 34.5% 38.1%
2000 to 2009 18.6% 19.2% 17.3%
1999 or earlier 18.2% 25.6% 21.3%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 97.7% 98.2% 97.5%
1.01 to 1.50 1.3% 1.3% 1.6%
1.51 or more 0.9% 0.5% 0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 12.8% 6.3% 11%
1 vehicle 41.3% 34% 35.7%
2 vehicles 26.2% 35.1% 35.1%
3 or more vehicles 19.7% 24.6% 18.3%
House heating fuel used
Gas 51.7% 48.1% 79.5%
Electricity 46.9% 49.1% 18.6%
Solar 0.4% 0.1% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 0.1% 0.1%
All other fuels 1% 2.3% 0.8%
No fuel used 0% 0.4% 0.8%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.4% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 1.2% 0.8%
No telephone service available 2.8% 1.7% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$81,200
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
West Frankfort
$81,200
Franklin County
$89,000
Illinois
$263,300

Housing Cost Burden

28%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
28%
Owners without a mortgage
16.8%
Renters
51.6%
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
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Property value
Median Value $81,200 $89,000 $263,300
Under $100,000 69.4% 54.7% 13.7%
$100,000 - $200,000 21% 26.6% 21.5%
$200,000 - $300,000 4.6% 10.5% 22.3%
$300,000 - $500,000 3.5% 6% 27.7%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0.4% 1.3% 12.1%
$1,000,000 and more 1.1% 0.9% 2.7%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 49.3% 40.8% 60.8%
Without a mortgage 50.7% 59.2% 39.2%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,083 $1,171 $1,987
Without a mortgage $442 $463 $792
Gross rent
Median rent $661 $803 $1,274

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

8.9%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
West Frankfort 8.9%
Franklin County 15.8%
Illinois 37.8%

Adults without a high school diploma

13.7%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
West Frankfort 13.7%
Franklin County 10.4%
Illinois 9.6%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,868
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
2%
K–12
81.2%
College / Undergraduate
15.4%
Graduate / Professional
1.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

37.5%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
West Frankfort
37.5%
Franklin County
25.9%
Illinois
41.4%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Total enrolled (age 3+) 1,868 7,693 3,051,569
Nursery / preschool 2% 7.3% 6.3%
K–12 81.2% 76.8% 67.3%
Kindergarten 4.6% 6.1% 4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 23.3% 19.5% 19.5%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 25.9% 24.8% 20.8%
High School: Grades 9–12 27.4% 26.5% 22.1%
College or graduate school 16.8% 15.8% 26.4%
College, undergraduate 15.4% 12.7% 19.8%
Graduate, professional school 1.4% 3.2% 6.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 37.5% 25.9% 41.4%
School type
Public school 87.8% 87.7% 80.5%
Private school 12.2% 12.3% 19.5%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

4,706
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
5.3%
9th-12th, no diploma
8.4%
HS graduate
38.4%
Some college no degree
23.4%
Associates degree
15.5%
Bachelors degree
4.8%
Graduate or professional degree
4.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
73.6% · 26.4%
9th-12th, no diploma
40.3% · 59.7%
HS graduate
50.5% · 49.5%
Some college no degree
46.8% · 53.2%
Associates degree
45.7% · 54.3%
Bachelors degree
52.2% · 47.8%
Graduate or professional degree
57% · 43%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Population (25+) 4,706 26,433 8,767,004
Less than 9th grade 5.3% 3.2% 4.6%
9th–12th, no diploma 8.4% 7.2% 5%
High school diploma or GED 38.4% 32.8% 25.1%
Some college, no degree 23.4% 27.4% 19.2%
Associate's degree 15.5% 13.7% 8.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher 8.9% 15.8% 37.8%
Bachelor's degree 4.8% 10.7% 22.6%
Graduate or professional 4.1% 5.1% 15.3%
High School or higher 86.3% 89.6% 90.5%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$40,044
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$39,489
Some college or associates
$45,786
Bachelors degree
$55,000
Graduate or professional degree
$41,354

Poverty Rate

10.2%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
55.9%
HS graduate
25.8%
Some college or associates
15.6%
Bachelors degree or higher
10.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
West Frankfort Franklin County Illinois
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $40,044 $42,394 $55,582
Less than high school graduate $— $32,826 $34,655
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $39,489 $38,877 $40,965
Some college or associate's degree $45,786 $41,886 $47,813
Bachelor's degree $55,000 $54,082 $73,326
Graduate or professional degree $41,354 $67,961 $91,623
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 55.9% 33.6% 21.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 25.8% 19.7% 14.4%
Some college or associate's degree 15.6% 10.8% 9.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher 10.2% 9.7% 4.5%

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