Ford County, Illinois Demographics 2026

Name: Ford County, Illinois Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Ford County, Illinois has a population of 13,406, the 78th most populous county in Illinois. The median household income is $62,439 and the median home value is $122,000. The poverty rate is 12.4%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Ford County Quick Facts

Population 13,406

Median Household Income $62,439

Median Home Value $122,000

Poverty Rate 12.4%

Unemployment Rate 5.5%

Median Age 41.9 years

Homeownership Rate 72.3%

Affordability Ratio 2.0x

Bachelor's Degree+ 18.9%

High School Graduation 91.6%

Cities/Places 8

Population 13,406 78th of 102

Median Income $62,439 25% lower than state

Poverty Rate 12.4%

Unemployment 5.5%

How Ford County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	13,396	13,406	+0.1%
Median household income	$60,782	$62,439	+2.7%
Median home value	$118,100	$122,000	+3.3%

Median Household Income

Ford

$62,439

$83,390

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Ford

$122,000

$263,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 19.3%

$25K-$50K 21.6%

$50K-$100K 28.9%

$100K+ 30.2%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

7.1%

$10K-$15K

4.9%

$15K-$20K

4.5%

$20K-$25K

2.9%

$25K-$30K

5.5%

$30K-$35K

5.1%

$35K-$40K

2.3%

$40K-$45K

4.5%

$45K-$50K

4.2%

$50K-$60K

7.7%

$60K-$75K

8.2%

$75K-$100K

13.0%

$100K-$125K

9.7%

$125K-$150K

8.2%

$150K-$200K

7.9%

$200K+

4.4%

Employment

5.5% Unemployment Rate State: 5.8%|National: 5.2%

62.0% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 72.3%

Renter 27.7%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.0x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $923/mo 17.7% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

23.4%

18-34

18.6%

35-54

24.6%

55-74

24.9%

75+

8.5%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 61 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Ford County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Paxton	4,131	$62,386	8.6%	$120,400
Gibson City	3,434	$42,955	14.3%	$153,800
Piper City	703	$39,680	13.1%	$80,400
Roberts	487	$60,500	28.9%	$59,700
Melvin	430	$43,958	20.2%	$66,300
Sibley	286	$72,250	11.0%	$90,600
Elliott	258	$51,094	16.4%	$83,800
Kempton	258	$81,250	13.6%	$67,600

Explore Illinois Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Ford County is located in Illinois with a total population of 13,406. It is the 78th most populous county out of 102 in Illinois. The county encompasses 8 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ford County is 41.9 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Ford County is $62,439. This is 25% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.4%. This is 5% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.5%. This is 7% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $122,000. Housing costs are 54% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.0x, Ford County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 72.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

Ford County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 5.3%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (89.4% vs 58.1%). The Black or African American population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 13.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (5.3%) is well below the state average of 18.8%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 5.9%.

Education

18.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 50% 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 91.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Ford County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Illinois and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Ford County, Illinois?

Ford County has a population of 13,406, making it the 78th most populous county in Illinois.

What is the median income in Ford County?

The median household income in Ford County is $62,439 with a poverty rate of 12.4%.

How many cities are in Ford County, Illinois?

Ford County contains 8 Census-designated places.