Garden Prairie, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 403, Garden Prairie'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

Garden Prairie is a small community located in Illinois, within Boone County. The total population is 403. It ranks as the 1001st most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Garden Prairie is 15.9 years. This is 59% lower than the state median of 39.0 years. With 51.6% of the population under 18, Garden Prairie has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Garden Prairie is $68,319. This is 18% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 15% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Garden Prairie. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Garden Prairie, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $186,400. Housing costs are 29% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Garden Prairie is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 82.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 22% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Garden Prairie is White (non-Hispanic), making up 78.7% of the population. Asian residents account for 10.2%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (10.2% vs 5.9%).

Education

0.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 75.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Garden Prairie, 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.