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Richland County, IL: population growth, jobs and income

Richland County lost 149 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−1.0%).

Richland County had an estimated 15,219 residents in 2025, down 3.7% (589 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Illinois as a whole (−0.6%), and the 85th fastest growth of 102 counties in Illinois.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Richland County report

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

  • Median gross rent$805/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes12.5%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months72025-10/2026-09
  • 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

8

2025

0.5 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: 70 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 5,377 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −1.2% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.7% in 2025, 0.2 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 8 new homes in 2025, or 0.5 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $62,455 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +13.5% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,790th.

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Richland County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202515,219−149
202415,368−142
202315,510−17
202215,527−262
202115,789−19
202015,808–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Richland County

Richland County lost 589 people since 2020; the biggest drag was natural change (−457).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−98−457
International migrationfrom and to other countries+18+60
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−70−198
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+1+6
Total change−149−589

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 growth85th of 1022,790th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents84th of 1022,518th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth54th of 1022,034th of 3,092
Median household income73rd of 1021,828th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate12th of 1021,151st of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents61st of 982,403rd 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 Richland 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, Richland County's population change (−3.7%) 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 Richland County's $62,455 (2020–24).

Richland 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
Richland County, IL This county15,219−3.7%−4.60.5$62,455
Edwards County, IL5,898−5.0%−11.2–$60,519
Jasper County, IL9,032−2.4%4.00.7$74,755
Clay County, IL12,793−3.6%−1.20.2$60,417
Lawrence County, IL13,790−9.7%6.84.9$55,324
Wabash County, IL10,907−3.6%−6.10.6$57,086
Wayne County, IL15,882−1.6%−0.30.1$55,521
Crawford County, IL18,648+0.1%3.40.5$71,674

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 Richland County growing?

No. Its population fell 3.7% between 2020 and 2025, about 589 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Illinois as a whole changed −0.6% over the same years. That ranks 85th of 102 counties in Illinois for population growth.

How many people moved to Richland County?

On net, none in 2025: about 70 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Richland County?

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

What is the population of Richland County?

About 15,219 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Richland County?

Private employers there had 5,377 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −1.2% 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.

Richland County data alerts

Email me when Richland 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 Richland 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.