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St. Clair County, IL: population growth, jobs and income

St. Clair County lost 667 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.3%).

St. Clair County had an estimated 250,708 residents in 2025, down 2.5% (6,349 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Illinois as a whole (−0.6%), and the 64th fastest growth of 102 counties in Illinois.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the St. Clair County report

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

  • Median gross rent$1,090/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes12.8%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months4142025-10/2026-09
  • 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

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 393 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 72,871 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −3.7% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.5% in 2025, 0.1 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 463 new homes in 2025, or 1.8 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $73,854 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +28.5% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,574th.

Part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area.

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St. Clair County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
2025250,708−667
2024251,375−857
2023252,232−598
2022252,830−2,364
2021255,194−1,863
2020257,057–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in St. Clair County

St. Clair County lost 6,349 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−6,029).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−501−1,791
International migrationfrom and to other countries+210+1,462
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−393−6,029
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+17+9
Total change−667−6,349

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 growth64th of 1022,574th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents62nd of 1022,162nd of 3,108
Private-sector job growth66th of 1022,341st of 3,092
Median household income29th of 102919th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate48th of 1022,094th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents17th of 981,607th 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 St. Clair 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, St. Clair County's population change (−2.5%) was ahead of 1 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 6.

5 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than St. Clair County's $73,854 (2020–24).

St. Clair 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
St. Clair County, IL This county250,708−2.5%−1.61.8$73,854
Monroe County, IL34,840−0.3%−2.51.9$102,880
St. Louis, MO278,144−7.4%−13.51.0$56,160
Madison County, IL263,110−1.0%1.21.7$75,793
Randolph County, IL29,921−0.6%3.10.2$68,131
Washington County, IL13,564−1.2%0.01.1$78,224
Clinton County, IL37,128+0.6%1.01.4$86,588
St. Louis County, MO990,911−1.2%−3.41.0$82,936

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 St. Clair County growing?

No. Its population fell 2.5% between 2020 and 2025, about 6,349 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Illinois as a whole changed −0.6% over the same years. That ranks 64th of 102 counties in Illinois for population growth.

How many people moved to St. Clair County?

On net, none in 2025: about 393 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in St. Clair County?

It averaged 4.5% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of St. Clair County?

About 250,708 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in St. Clair County?

Private employers there had 72,871 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −3.7% 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.

St. Clair County data alerts

Email me when St. Clair 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 St. Clair 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.