Official Federal Data
Putnam County, Illinois
FIPS 17155 · Ottawa, IL · Population 5,601
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$75,590 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
5% ▼
Unemployment
4% national
$428M ▲
GDP
22.9% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 5,601 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
$75,590 ▲
Per Capita
$40,375 ▲
Mean Household
$92,619 ▲
Poverty Rate
8.1% ▼approx.
Median Income Comparison
Putnam County$75,590
Illinois$83,390
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 19.7%
18-34 · 17.2%
35-54 · 22.7%
55-64 · 15.8%
65+ · 24.6%
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+
94.2%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +4.6 pts
22.9%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 12.8 pts
8.1%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 6.0 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
5,601
Population
2,803
Labor Force
Employed
2,686
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
5% ▼ 0.3 pts YoY
Mean Commute 2 min above national avg
28.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.2%
Key Takeaways
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 12.8 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
- Aging population: Median age of 47 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Manufacturing employs 513 workers (51.7% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $82,973.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $428M (2024).
- Wage stratification: Transportation and Warehousing averages $93,802 while Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation averages $15,769, a 5.9x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Goods-Producing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
970
Cluster Employment
3.33x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
3.33x 970
Specialty Trade Contractors
1.84x 123
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: concentrates at 3.33x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$172,700 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$851 ▲
Rent/Mo
81.5% ▲
Owner-Occ
20.2% ▼
Vacancy
2.3x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$646/mo
1 Bedroom
$851/mo
2 Bedroom
$937/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,212/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,553/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,890/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.3x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
- High home ownership: 81.5% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Elevated vacancy: 20.2% 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 (~$1,890/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
3,119 ▼
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 2 min above national avg
28.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.2%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
82.7%
of prime-age population
▼ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
22.9% ▲
HS Diploma+
94.2% ▲
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
28.4%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
26.4%
Service
16%
Sales & Office
20%
Construction / Maint.
16.5%
Production / Transport
21.1%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 2,686 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 28.4% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- 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 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Putnam County shows meaningful potential for attraction, with a 3.33x concentration and 970 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 28.4% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
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
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Putnam County, Illinois, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Putnam County, Illinois?
5,601 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Putnam County, Illinois?
$75,590 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Putnam County, Illinois?
5% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Putnam County, Illinois?
$428M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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