Whiteside County, Illinois Demographics 2026

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

Whiteside County, Illinois has a population of 54,947, the 24th most populous county in Illinois. The median household income is $67,500 and the median home value is $127,100. The poverty rate is 12.0%.

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

Whiteside County Quick Facts

Population 54,947

Median Household Income $67,500

Median Home Value $127,100

Poverty Rate 12.0%

Unemployment Rate 4.3%

Median Age 43.0 years

Homeownership Rate 76.9%

Affordability Ratio 1.9x

Bachelor's Degree+ 20.4%

High School Graduation 91.9%

Cities/Places 13

Population 54,947 24th of 102

Median Income $67,500 19% lower than state

Poverty Rate 12.0%

Unemployment 4.3%

How Whiteside 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	55,192	54,947	-0.4%
Median household income	$64,536	$67,500	+4.6%
Median home value	$125,800	$127,100	+1.0%

Median Household Income

Whiteside

$67,500

$83,390

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Whiteside

$127,100

$263,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 16.5%

$25K-$50K 21.9%

$50K-$100K 29.5%

$100K+ 32.1%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.6%

$10K-$15K

3.6%

$15K-$20K

3.9%

$20K-$25K

4.3%

$25K-$30K

4.2%

$30K-$35K

4.0%

$35K-$40K

4.2%

$40K-$45K

5.3%

$45K-$50K

4.3%

$50K-$60K

7.0%

$60K-$75K

9.5%

$75K-$100K

13.0%

$100K-$125K

11.9%

$125K-$150K

7.8%

$150K-$200K

7.6%

$200K+

4.7%

Employment

4.3% Unemployment Rate State: 5.8%|National: 5.2%

61.9% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 76.9%

Renter 23.1%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

1.9x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $856/mo 15.2% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.0%

18-34

18.8%

35-54

23.4%

55-74

26.6%

75+

9.2%

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 Whiteside County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Sterling	14,717	$57,350	15.3%	$108,700
Rock Falls	8,587	$49,600	25.6%	$83,900
Morrison	3,739	$69,089	8.1%	$118,000
Fulton	3,709	$45,581	14.8%	$121,700
Prophetstown	1,903	$65,125	11.7%	$116,600
Erie	1,614	$82,760	3.0%	$151,900
Albany	776	$62,857	4.0%	$148,800
Tampico	565	$56,250	13.0%	$86,000
Como	535	$63,750	20.6%	$175,700
Lyndon	433	$60,104	4.4%	$113,500
Galt	213	$112,569	4.2%	N/A
Coleta	169	$56,875	11.7%	$111,800
Deer Grove	36	$76,607	11.1%	$112,500

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

Whiteside County is located in Illinois with a total population of 54,947. It is the 24th most populous county out of 102 in Illinois. The county encompasses 13 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Whiteside County is 43.0 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Whiteside County is $67,500. This is 19% lower than the state median of $83,390. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.0%. This is 1% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 26% lower than the state rate of 5.8%. The median home value is $127,100. Housing costs are 52% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.9x, Whiteside County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Whiteside County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 80.9% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 13.3%. The Black or African American population (1.2%) is well below the state average of 13.3%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 5.9%.

Education

20.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 46% 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 91.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Whiteside 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 Whiteside County, Illinois?

Whiteside County has a population of 54,947, making it the 24th most populous county in Illinois.

What is the median income in Whiteside County?

The median household income in Whiteside County is $67,500 with a poverty rate of 12.0%.

How many cities are in Whiteside County, Illinois?

Whiteside County contains 13 Census-designated places.