Knox County, Illinois Demographics 2026

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

Knox County, Illinois has a population of 49,046, the 29th most populous county in Illinois. The median household income is $57,030 and the median home value is $111,900. The poverty rate is 14.6%.

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

Knox County Quick Facts

Population 49,046

Median Household Income $57,030

Median Home Value $111,900

Poverty Rate 14.6%

Unemployment Rate 5.1%

Median Age 42.6 years

Homeownership Rate 70.8%

Affordability Ratio 2.0x

Bachelor's Degree+ 21.0%

High School Graduation 89.9%

Cities/Places 17

Population 49,046 29th of 102

Median Income $57,030 32% lower than state

Poverty Rate 14.6%

Unemployment 5.1%

How Knox 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	49,294	49,046	-0.5%
Median household income	$53,291	$57,030	+7.0%
Median home value	$104,900	$111,900	+6.7%

Median Household Income

Knox

$57,030

$83,390

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Knox

$111,900

$263,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 22.8%

$25K-$50K 21.6%

$50K-$100K 31.3%

$100K+ 24.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

8.0%

$10K-$15K

4.6%

$15K-$20K

5.1%

$20K-$25K

5.1%

$25K-$30K

3.4%

$30K-$35K

4.3%

$35K-$40K

5.0%

$40K-$45K

4.7%

$45K-$50K

4.2%

$50K-$60K

7.3%

$60K-$75K

10.8%

$75K-$100K

13.1%

$100K-$125K

8.0%

$125K-$150K

7.1%

$150K-$200K

5.7%

$200K+

3.6%

Employment

5.1% Unemployment Rate State: 5.8%|National: 5.2%

55.3% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 70.8%

Renter 29.2%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.0x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $788/mo 16.6% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

20.2%

18-34

20.8%

35-54

23.5%

55-74

25.9%

75+

9.7%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

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 Knox County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Galesburg	29,481	$48,297	19.1%	$96,400
Abingdon	3,443	$61,653	9.2%	$99,600
Knoxville	3,211	$82,863	7.2%	$145,300
Oak Run	800	$100,417	3.3%	$298,300
Oneida	719	$66,791	3.6%	$114,100
East Galesburg	713	$79,333	17.5%	$123,700
Wataga	710	$62,917	9.3%	$97,600
Williamsfield	531	$82,417	4.0%	$109,800
Yates City	500	$63,750	6.3%	$97,100
Altona	498	$69,375	7.6%	$102,000
London Mills	328	$53,125	23.5%	$64,400
Henderson	284	$57,875	23.7%	$111,100
Victoria	254	$59,375	5.9%	$85,000
Rio	205	$72,500	19.5%	$115,600
Maquon	161	$63,125	11.9%	$72,500
Gilson	120	$44,531	11.7%	$30,000
St. Augustine	92	N/A	23.9%	$49,000

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

Knox County is located in Illinois with a total population of 49,046. It is the 29th most populous county out of 102 in Illinois. The county encompasses 17 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Knox County is 42.6 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Knox County is $57,030. This is 32% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 29% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.6%. This is 23% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.1%. This is 13% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $111,900. Housing costs are 58% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.0x, Knox County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 70.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Knox County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 80.0% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 8.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (6.4%) is well below the state average of 18.8%. The Asian population (1.3%) is well below the state average of 5.9%.

Education

21.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 45% 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 89.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Knox 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 Knox County, Illinois?

Knox County has a population of 49,046, making it the 29th most populous county in Illinois.

What is the median income in Knox County?

The median household income in Knox County is $57,030 with a poverty rate of 14.6%.

How many cities are in Knox County, Illinois?

Knox County contains 17 Census-designated places.