Elsah, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 708, Elsah'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

Elsah is a small community located in Illinois, within Jersey County. The total population is 708. It ranks as the 815th most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Elsah is 20.3 years. This is 48% lower than the state median of 39.0 years. Only 0.1% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Elsah is $98,125. This is 18% higher than the state median of $83,390. It is also 22% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 25.0%. This is 112% 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 8.0%. This is 37% higher than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $221,400. Housing costs are 16% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Elsah is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 87.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 30% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Elsah is White (non-Hispanic), making up 66.5% of the population. Asian residents account for 11.3%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (11.3% vs 5.9%).

Education

61.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Elsah in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 63% higher 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 87.7%. Notably, 45.7% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Elsah, 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.