Macon County, Illinois Demographics 2026

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

Macon County, Illinois has a population of 101,849, the 19th most populous county in Illinois. The median household income is $62,666 and the median home value is $127,300. The poverty rate is 15.0%.

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

Macon County Quick Facts

Population 101,849

Median Household Income $62,666

Median Home Value $127,300

Poverty Rate 15.0%

Unemployment Rate 6.8%

Median Age 40.6 years

Homeownership Rate 70.2%

Affordability Ratio 2.0x

Bachelor's Degree+ 24.4%

High School Graduation 93.0%

Cities/Places 14

Population 101,849 19th of 102

Median Income $62,666 25% lower than state

Poverty Rate 15.0%

Unemployment 6.8%

How Macon 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	102,591	101,849	-0.7%
Median household income	$62,449	$62,666	+0.3%
Median home value	$121,800	$127,300	+4.5%

Median Household Income

Macon

$62,666

$83,390

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Macon

$127,300

$263,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 18.1%

$25K-$50K 22.8%

$50K-$100K 30.5%

$100K+ 28.5%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

7.0%

$10K-$15K

3.7%

$15K-$20K

3.4%

$20K-$25K

4.1%

$25K-$30K

3.6%

$30K-$35K

4.1%

$35K-$40K

4.7%

$40K-$45K

5.2%

$45K-$50K

5.2%

$50K-$60K

7.3%

$60K-$75K

9.5%

$75K-$100K

13.6%

$100K-$125K

9.7%

$125K-$150K

6.5%

$150K-$200K

5.9%

$200K+

6.5%

Employment

6.8% Unemployment Rate State: 5.8%|National: 5.2%

58.1% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 70.2%

Renter 29.8%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.0x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $847/mo 16.2% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.7%

18-34

20.4%

35-54

22.9%

55-74

25.2%

75+

8.9%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 61 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Macon County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Decatur	69,815	$51,592	19.4%	$99,600
Mount Zion	5,660	$103,365	4.0%	$201,100
Forsyth	3,502	$112,000	11.3%	$281,000
Maroa	1,714	$72,500	6.8%	$126,800
Harristown	1,550	$72,426	9.5%	$117,700
Long Creek	1,392	$78,519	6.7%	$167,500
Macon	1,047	$68,750	7.3%	$108,600
Oreana	1,037	$89,000	3.0%	$137,300
Warrensburg	921	$81,719	8.1%	$145,400
Blue Mound	882	$70,329	8.7%	$123,100
Argenta	879	$73,482	5.2%	$106,300
Niantic	671	$67,155	7.7%	$114,800
Boody	301	$53,500	0.0%	$104,900
Elwin	40	N/A	0.0%	$122,200

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

Macon County is located in Illinois with a total population of 101,849. It is the 19th most populous county out of 102 in Illinois. The county encompasses 14 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Macon County is 40.6 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Macon County is $62,666. This is 25% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 22% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.0%. This is 27% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 6.8%. This is 16% higher than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $127,300. Housing costs are 52% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.0x, Macon County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 70.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Macon County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 73.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 16.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.9%) is well below the state average of 18.8%. The Asian population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 5.9%.

Education

24.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 36% 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 93.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Macon 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 Macon County, Illinois?

Macon County has a population of 101,849, making it the 19th most populous county in Illinois.

What is the median income in Macon County?

The median household income in Macon County is $62,666 with a poverty rate of 15.0%.

How many cities are in Macon County, Illinois?

Macon County contains 14 Census-designated places.