McLean County, Illinois Demographics 2026

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

McLean County, Illinois has a population of 171,556, the 13th most populous county in Illinois. The median household income is $79,905 and the median home value is $208,400. The poverty rate is 12.9%.

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

McLean County Quick Facts

Population 171,556

Median Household Income $79,905

Median Home Value $208,400

Poverty Rate 12.9%

Unemployment Rate 3.1%

Median Age 34.3 years

Homeownership Rate 65.1%

Affordability Ratio 2.6x

Bachelor's Degree+ 47.2%

High School Graduation 95.9%

Cities/Places 24

Population 171,556 13th of 102

Median Income $79,905 4% lower than state

Poverty Rate 12.9%

Unemployment 3.1%

How McLean 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	170,882	171,556	+0.4%
Median household income	$78,329	$79,905	+2.0%
Median home value	$198,300	$208,400	+5.1%

Median Household Income

McLean

$79,905

$83,390

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

McLean

$208,400

$263,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 16.9%

$25K-$50K 16.6%

$50K-$100K 27.2%

$100K+ 39.4%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

7.4%

$10K-$15K

3.0%

$15K-$20K

2.9%

$20K-$25K

3.4%

$25K-$30K

3.2%

$30K-$35K

3.5%

$35K-$40K

3.1%

$40K-$45K

3.3%

$45K-$50K

3.5%

$50K-$60K

6.2%

$60K-$75K

7.9%

$75K-$100K

13.0%

$100K-$125K

10.9%

$125K-$150K

6.5%

$150K-$200K

10.1%

$200K+

11.8%

Employment

3.1% Unemployment Rate State: 5.8%|National: 5.2%

64.8% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 65.1%

Renter 34.9%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.6x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,009/mo 15.2% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

21.2%

18-34

29.6%

35-54

23.4%

55-74

20.0%

75+

5.7%

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 McLean County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Bloomington	78,907	$77,384	11.0%	$203,300
Normal	53,569	$64,785	21.4%	$213,600
Le Roy	3,236	$81,875	2.8%	$167,600
El Paso	2,917	$75,625	10.9%	$159,400
Heyworth	2,573	$96,500	6.1%	$210,600
Lexington	2,126	$99,167	4.2%	$172,500
Hudson	1,918	$110,000	2.4%	$224,700
Chenoa	1,647	$65,769	21.3%	$124,700
Downs	1,641	$110,625	10.8%	$240,600
Twin Grove	1,458	$116,250	4.2%	$264,800
Gridley	1,390	$67,250	5.7%	$141,300
Danvers	1,130	$88,854	4.8%	$166,200
Colfax	1,054	$70,625	14.4%	$136,300
Saybrook	744	$52,721	15.2%	$98,100
McLean	708	$87,321	4.4%	$140,400
Stanford	514	$84,821	15.0%	$115,300
Carlock	500	$85,625	2.9%	$154,600
Towanda	350	$72,500	12.3%	$158,800
Bellflower	328	$82,500	6.4%	$122,000
Arrowsmith	320	$88,594	31.6%	$103,500
Anchor	206	$72,250	14.4%	$98,100
Cooksville	200	$68,125	28.2%	$115,300
Ellsworth	179	$77,750	15.1%	$121,000
Shirley	103	$36,490	0.0%	$84,800

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

McLean County is located in Illinois with a total population of 171,556. It is the 13th most populous county out of 102 in Illinois. The county encompasses 24 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in McLean County is 34.3 years. This is 12% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in McLean County is $79,905. This is 4% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 1% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.9%. This is 9% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.1%. This is 47% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $208,400. Housing costs are 21% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, McLean County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 65.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in McLean County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 76.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 8.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population (6.5%) is well below the state average of 18.8%.

Education

47.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places McLean County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 25% 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 95.9%. Notably, 16.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for McLean 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 McLean County, Illinois?

McLean County has a population of 171,556, making it the 13th most populous county in Illinois.

What is the median income in McLean County?

The median household income in McLean County is $79,905 with a poverty rate of 12.9%.

How many cities are in McLean County, Illinois?

McLean County contains 24 Census-designated places.