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Hancock County, IL: population growth, jobs and income

Hancock County lost 133 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.8%).

Hancock County had an estimated 16,803 residents in 2025, down 4.4% (767 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Illinois as a whole (−0.6%), and the 92nd fastest growth of 102 counties in Illinois.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Hancock County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Hancock County, ranked against Illinois and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$782/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes14.8%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months12025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

1

2025

0.1 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 63 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 2,706 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −7.2% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.7% in 2025, 0.7 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 1 new homes in 2025, or 0.1 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $65,865 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +18.0% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,870th.

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Hancock County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202516,803−133
202416,936−256
202317,192−73
202217,265−147
202117,412−158
202017,570–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Hancock County

Hancock County lost 767 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−418).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−80−388
International migrationfrom and to other countries+9+40
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−63−418
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+1−1
Total change−133−767

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn IllinoisAmong U.S. counties
Population growth92nd of 1022,870th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents79th of 1022,434th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth78th of 1022,650th of 3,092
Median household income58th of 1021,540th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate11th of 1021,150th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents90th of 982,745th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Hancock County, IL as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Hancock County's population change (−4.4%) was ahead of 2 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 5.

2 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Hancock County's $65,865 (2020–24).

Hancock County, IL and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Hancock County, IL This county16,803−4.4%−3.70.1$65,865
Lee County, IA32,306−3.6%−3.02.5$62,382
Adams County, IL64,267−2.1%1.80.6$66,220
McDonough County, IL25,916−4.5%−5.00.0$52,795
Henderson County, IL5,984−5.6%−3.50.7$62,227
Schuyler County, IL6,657−3.0%−4.80.0$65,948
Clark County, MO6,475−2.8%−14.52.3$51,781
Lewis County, MO9,879−1.6%1.60.4$59,934

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 102 Illinois counties · Every state

Questions

Is Hancock County growing?

No. Its population fell 4.4% between 2020 and 2025, about 767 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Illinois as a whole changed −0.6% over the same years. That ranks 92nd of 102 counties in Illinois for population growth.

How many people moved to Hancock County?

On net, none in 2025: about 63 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Hancock County?

It averaged 3.7% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Hancock County?

About 16,803 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Hancock County?

Private employers there had 2,706 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −7.2% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Illinois

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Illinois county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Hancock County data alerts

Email me when Hancock County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Hancock County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.