Official Federal Data
Brown County, Illinois
FIPS 17009 · Population 6,322
8 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$67,917 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.1% ▲
Unemployment
4% national
$624M ▲
GDP
12.6% ▼
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 6,322 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$67,917 ▲
Per Capita
$26,202 ▲
Mean Household
$81,732 ▲
Poverty Rate
9.2% ▼approx.
Median Income Comparison
Brown County$67,917
Illinois$83,390
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 16.8%
18-34 · 23.1%
35-54 · 31.9%
55-64 · 12%
65+ · 16.3%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
76.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 12.9 pts
12.6%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 23.1 pts
2.8%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 11.3 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
6,322
Population
2,255
Labor Force
Employed
2,186
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.1% ▲ +0.1 pts YoY
Mean Commute 10 min below national avg
15.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.3%
Key Takeaways
- Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 23.1 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 104 workers (54.5% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $25,317.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $624M (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$150,300 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$698 ▲
Rent/Mo
71.8% ▼
Owner-Occ
12.1% ▼
Vacancy
2.2x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$733/mo
1 Bedroom
$810/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,063/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,275/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,518/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,698/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.2x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
- High home ownership: 71.8% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Elevated vacancy: 12.1% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
- Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,698/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
4,231 ▼
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 10 min below national avg
15.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.3%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
44.4%
of prime-age population
▼ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
12.6% ▼
HS Diploma+
76.7% ▼
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
57,734/yr
15,945/yr
11,893/yr
9,399/yr
8,607/yr
5,976/yr
5,914/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
17.9%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
26.1%
Service
19.8%
Sales & Office
25.3%
Construction / Maint.
11.2%
Production / Transport
17.6%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 2,186 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Low participation: 42.9% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
- Short commutes: 15.9-minute mean commute is a quality-of-life and labor-access advantage worth surfacing for site selectors.
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 37,237 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 8 federal data sources
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Brown County, Illinois, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Brown County, Illinois?
6,322 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Brown County, Illinois?
$67,917 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Brown County, Illinois?
3.1% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Brown County, Illinois?
$624M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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