Mount Erie, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 135, Mount Erie'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

Mount Erie is a small community located in Illinois, within Wayne County. The total population is 135. It ranks as the 1285th most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Mount Erie is 25.9 years. This is 34% lower than the state median of 39.0 years. With 42.2% of the population under 18, Mount Erie has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The poverty rate stands at 30.5%. This is 158% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Mount Erie, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $94,300. Housing costs are 64% lower than the state median of $263,300. 95.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 42% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Mount Erie was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 99.3% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

14.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 62% lower than the state rate of 37.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Mount Erie, 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.