Fastest-growing counties in Illinois
Fastest-growing counties in Illinois
From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.
But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Illinois using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.
A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.
#30. Scott County
--- #2,158 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -6.9%
--- #85 among counties in Illinois, #2,857 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 5,005
--- #99 largest county in Illinois, #2,829 largest county nationwide
#29. Piatt County
--- #2,070 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -1.8%
--- #29 among counties in Illinois, #1,961 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 16,401
--- #66 largest county in Illinois, #2,018 largest county nationwide
#28. Calhoun County
--- #2,046 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -5.6%
--- #76 among counties in Illinois, #2,716 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 4,830
--- #100 largest county in Illinois, #2,843 largest county nationwide
#27. Hamilton County
--- #2,024 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -3.3%
--- #42 among counties in Illinois, #2,290 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 8,176
--- #89 largest county in Illinois, #2,581 largest county nationwide
#26. Brown County
--- #2,009 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -3.9%
--- #47 among counties in Illinois, #2,421 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 6,628
--- #92 largest county in Illinois, #2,700 largest county nationwide
#25. Putnam County
--- #1,994 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -4.4%
--- #51 among counties in Illinois, #2,503 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 5,721
--- #95 largest county in Illinois, #2,777 largest county nationwide
#24. Edwards County
--- #1,979 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -3.8%
--- #45 among counties in Illinois, #2,387 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 6,455
--- #93 largest county in Illinois, #2,716 largest county nationwide
#23. Cumberland County
--- #1,954 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -2.1%
--- #32 among counties in Illinois, #2,024 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 10,836
--- #87 largest county in Illinois, #2,359 largest county nationwide
#22. Pope County
--- #1,936 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -5.0%
--- #68 among counties in Illinois, #2,626 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 4,203
--- #101 largest county in Illinois, #2,883 largest county nationwide
#21. Johnson County
--- #1,923 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -1.7%
--- #28 among counties in Illinois, #1,926 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 12,494
--- #82 largest county in Illinois, #2,255 largest county nationwide
#20. Jasper County
--- #1,807 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -1.6%
--- #26 among counties in Illinois, #1,908 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 9,594
--- #88 largest county in Illinois, #2,458 largest county nationwide
#19. Effingham County
--- #1,702 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.3%
--- #18 among counties in Illinois, #1,613 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 34,137
--- #44 largest county in Illinois, #1,325 largest county nationwide
#18. Moultrie County
--- #1,674 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.6%
--- #20 among counties in Illinois, #1,680 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 14,641
--- #73 largest county in Illinois, #2,117 largest county nationwide
#17. Boone County
--- #1,602 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.1%
--- #17 among counties in Illinois, #1,569 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 53,537
--- #26 largest county in Illinois, #943 largest county nationwide
#16. Clinton County
--- #1,307 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.6%
--- #12 among counties in Illinois, #1,435 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 37,634
--- #38 largest county in Illinois, #1,230 largest county nationwide
#15. DeKalb County
--- #1,235 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.3%
--- #16 among counties in Illinois, #1,492 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 104,366
--- #20 largest county in Illinois, #576 largest county nationwide
#14. Woodford County
--- #1,166 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.2%
--- #10 among counties in Illinois, #1,331 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 38,700
--- #35 largest county in Illinois, #1,211 largest county nationwide
#13. Williamson County
--- #850 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.3%
--- #8 among counties in Illinois, #1,159 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 67,102
--- #22 largest county in Illinois, #790 largest county nationwide
#12. Sangamon County
--- #845 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.8%
--- #11 among counties in Illinois, #1,409 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 196,861
--- #11 largest county in Illinois, #339 largest county nationwide
#11. McHenry County
--- #831 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.5%
--- #14 among counties in Illinois, #1,453 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 307,714
--- #6 largest county in Illinois, #224 largest county nationwide
#10. Monroe County
--- #811 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.4%
--- #4 among counties in Illinois, #759 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 34,168
--- #43 largest county in Illinois, #1,324 largest county nationwide
#9. Grundy County
--- #789 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.9%
--- #5 among counties in Illinois, #921 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 50,666
--- #29 largest county in Illinois, #979 largest county nationwide
#8. Lake County
--- #575 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.6%
--- #13 among counties in Illinois, #1,439 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 701,473
--- #3 largest county in Illinois, #91 largest county nationwide
#7. McLean County
--- #507 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.5%
--- #6 among counties in Illinois, #982 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 172,578
--- #13 largest county in Illinois, #378 largest county nationwide
#6. Champaign County
--- #352 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.1%
--- #2 among counties in Illinois, #687 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 209,922
--- #10 largest county in Illinois, #317 largest county nationwide
#5. DuPage County
--- #287 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.9%
--- #9 among counties in Illinois, #1,219 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 929,060
--- #2 largest county in Illinois, #57 largest county nationwide
#4. Kendall County
--- #263 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +19.4%
--- #1 among counties in Illinois, #111 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 126,054
--- #16 largest county in Illinois, #502 largest county nationwide
#3. Will County
--- #252 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.2%
--- #7 among counties in Illinois, #1,019 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 689,315
--- #4 largest county in Illinois, #96 largest county nationwide
#2. Cook County
--- #216 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.5%
--- #15 among counties in Illinois, #1,463 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 5,198,275
--- #1 largest county in Illinois, #2 largest county nationwide
#1. Kane County
--- #191 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.7%
--- #3 among counties in Illinois, #723 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 531,376
--- #5 largest county in Illinois, #130 largest county nationwide



