Apple River, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 290, Apple River's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Apple River is a small community located in Illinois, within Jo Daviess County. The total population is 290. It ranks as the 1093rd most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Apple River is 41.5 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Apple River is $44,028. This is 47% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 45% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.7%. This is 84% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. This is 16% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $87,100. Housing costs are 67% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.0x, Apple River is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 66.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

Apple River has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.6% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.9%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (88.6% vs 58.1%). The Hispanic or Latino population (7.9%) is well below the state average of 18.8%.

Education

16.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 57% lower than the state rate of 37.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Apple River, Illinois is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Illinois state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.