Clark County is located in east-central Illinois along the Indiana border, within the Wabash River valley region. Established in 1819 and named for George Rogers Clark, it developed as an agricultural county tied to river and overland transportation corridors. Clark County is small in population, with fewer than 20,000 residents, and is characterized by a predominantly rural settlement pattern with small towns and extensive farmland. The county’s landscape includes broad river bottoms, wooded areas, and gently rolling uplands typical of the Wabash basin. Agriculture remains central to the local economy, supported by related services and light manufacturing in its towns. Cultural life is closely connected to community institutions, school districts, and local traditions common to rural eastern Illinois. The county seat and largest community is Marshall, which serves as the primary center for government and commerce.

Clark County Local Demographic Profile

Clark County is located in east-central Illinois along the Indiana border, within the Wabash Valley region. The county seat is Marshall, and the county’s primary demographic benchmarks are reported through federal and state statistical programs.

Population Size

Age & Gender

County-level age-distribution and sex composition are published by the U.S. Census Bureau via the American Community Survey (ACS) and compiled in QuickFacts.

  • Age (selected measures, ACS/QuickFacts): See the county’s profile table on Census QuickFacts (Clark County, IL) for:
    • Under 18 years
    • 18 to 64 years
    • 65 years and over
    • Median age
  • Gender ratio/sex composition (ACS/QuickFacts): The county’s female and male percentage shares are listed in the same QuickFacts demographic profile. (QuickFacts reports sex shares rather than a single “males per 100 females” ratio.)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

  • The U.S. Census Bureau’s QuickFacts demographic table for Clark County provides county-level percentages for:
    • White alone
    • Black or African American alone
    • American Indian and Alaska Native alone
    • Asian alone
    • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone
    • Two or more races
    • Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Household & Housing Data

County-level household and housing statistics are reported through ACS and summarized in QuickFacts.

Email Usage

Clark County, Illinois is a largely rural county where low population density and longer infrastructure runs tend to reduce broadband availability and increase reliance on mobile connectivity, shaping how residents access email and other digital communications.

Direct county-level email-usage statistics are not routinely published; email adoption is commonly proxied using household broadband subscription and computer ownership from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). ACS tables on computer and internet access provide the standard local indicators for likely email access (home internet subscription and device availability) via the U.S. Census Bureau’s data portal.

Age structure influences email uptake because older cohorts generally show lower rates of adopting new online services and may rely more on limited-access connections (mobile-only or shared devices). Clark County’s age distribution can be summarized using ACS demographic profiles from ACS demographic tables.

Gender distribution is typically a weak predictor of email use compared with age and access; ACS sex-by-age tables support contextual comparisons (ACS sex and age data).

Connectivity constraints are best characterized through broadband-availability and deployment datasets such as the FCC National Broadband Map, which highlights coverage gaps and technology limitations that affect reliable email access.

Mobile Phone Usage

Clark County is in east-central Illinois along the Indiana border, anchored by Marshall and characterized by small municipalities, extensive farmland, and low population density relative to metropolitan Illinois. This rural settlement pattern and the county’s broad areas of flat agricultural terrain tend to produce coverage that is strongest along highways and towns and more variable in sparsely populated areas where fewer towers and fewer wired backhaul options are economically deployed.

Data scope and limitations (county-level vs provider/network data)

County-specific, publicly comparable statistics are strongest for household adoption and device ownership (from the U.S. Census Bureau). County-specific statistics are also available for reported broadband availability (from the FCC), but those data represent where service is reported as available, not measured performance or subscription uptake. Direct county-level breakdowns of “4G vs 5G usage” (actual traffic shares) are generally not published in a standardized public dataset; discussion of mobile generation use therefore focuses on availability and typical rural deployment patterns rather than behavioral metrics.

County context affecting mobile connectivity

  • Rural density and land use: Much of Clark County is agricultural with dispersed housing outside municipal limits, which increases per-household infrastructure costs and can reduce network densification.
  • Terrain: The region’s generally flat topography supports wider radio propagation than heavily wooded or mountainous areas, but distance to towers and tower spacing remain key constraints for consistent signal and high throughput.
  • Settlement geography: Coverage and capacity are typically strongest in and near Marshall and along major travel corridors; sparsely populated township areas often have fewer macro sites.

Network availability (coverage) vs household adoption (subscriptions)

Network availability refers to whether a provider reports mobile broadband coverage at a location. Household adoption refers to whether residents subscribe to and use mobile service (including “cellular data only” internet at home). These measures are not interchangeable: a location can have reported coverage but low adoption due to cost, device availability, digital literacy, or preference for fixed broadband; conversely, households can adopt mobile service even where coverage is uneven by relying on specific carriers, external antennas, or usage in better-covered areas.

Mobile penetration or access indicators (household adoption)

County-level adoption indicators are available through U.S. Census Bureau survey products:

  • Household internet subscription type (including “cellular data plan”): The American Community Survey (ACS) provides estimates for households with different internet subscription types, including those using a cellular data plan as their internet service. These estimates are accessible through data tables for counties on Census.gov (data.census.gov).
  • Device ownership (smartphone/computer): ACS also reports whether households have a smartphone, a computer, and other devices, enabling a county-level view of mobile access versus other computing options. These are available in the same ACS subject tables via Census.gov.

Interpretation notes

  • ACS estimates are survey-based and can have wider margins of error in smaller counties.
  • ACS measures household access/ownership and subscription types; it does not directly measure network speed, signal quality, or 4G/5G generation usage.

Mobile internet usage patterns and connectivity (4G/5G availability)

Reported mobile broadband availability (FCC)

The primary public source for standardized coverage reporting is the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC):

  • The FCC provides broadband availability maps and downloadable data on the FCC National Broadband Map. This includes mobile broadband coverage by provider and technology generation as reported to the FCC.
  • The FCC also publishes documentation and methodology for the BDC, including limitations of provider-reported coverage, on FCC Broadband Data.

How to use this for Clark County

  • FCC map layers can be filtered to Clark County and toggled by provider/technology to identify where 4G LTE and 5G are reported as available.
  • FCC availability indicates service is reported as available outdoors/mobile (and sometimes in-vehicle), but does not guarantee consistent indoor coverage or minimum real-world throughput in all locations.

4G LTE in rural Illinois counties (availability framing)

In rural counties, 4G LTE typically remains the most geographically extensive layer because it relies on lower- and mid-band spectrum with macro-tower coverage footprints designed for wide-area service. In Clark County, reported LTE availability is generally expected to cover most settled areas and road networks where carriers operate, but the FCC map is the authoritative public reference for reported coverage by location.

5G in rural counties (availability framing)

Public FCC availability layers can show multiple types of 5G, but rural deployment patterns commonly include:

  • Low-band 5G: broader coverage footprints similar to LTE, with incremental improvements.
  • Mid-band 5G: higher capacity and speeds, typically concentrated around towns and higher-demand corridors; requires denser infrastructure than low-band.
  • High-band/mmWave: usually limited to dense urban nodes and is uncommon in rural counties.

For Clark County, the FCC map provides the most defensible statement about where 5G is reported. County-level “5G usage share” (actual traffic on 5G vs LTE) is not typically available in public datasets.

Common device types (smartphones vs other devices)

County-level device-type indicators are available via ACS:

  • Smartphone availability: ACS tables include households with a smartphone, which serves as a proxy for the prevalence of smartphone-based access.
  • Other device categories: ACS also tracks desktop/laptop computers and tablets, allowing comparisons between smartphone-centric access and multi-device households.

These indicators can be retrieved and compared for Clark County using Census.gov (ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables). The ACS does not distinguish operating systems (Android/iOS) or model-level device distributions at county resolution.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage

Income, affordability, and “cellular-only” home internet

  • ACS “internet subscription” tables can indicate households relying on a cellular data plan for home internet. Higher shares of cellular-only adoption are often associated in survey research with affordability constraints or limited fixed-broadband options, but attributing causality at county scale requires care and is not directly established by ACS tables alone.
  • The Illinois broadband policy context and statewide planning resources are centralized through Connect Illinois (Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity), which provides statewide initiatives and broadband planning materials relevant to rural counties.

Age structure and digital adoption

  • ACS demographic profiles (age distribution, disability status) can be used alongside device/subscription tables to contextualize adoption patterns. Older populations can correlate with different adoption rates and device preferences at the population level, but county-level statements should be grounded in Census estimates rather than generalized claims.

Rural settlement pattern and indoor coverage

  • Dispersed housing increases the likelihood that households experience weaker indoor signal in some locations due to distance from macro sites and fewer nearby cells.
  • Indoor coverage varies by building materials and local tower geometry; these are not captured in FCC availability data and require field measurements or carrier engineering data.

Practical separation of metrics (summary)

  • Network availability (reported coverage): Best referenced using FCC National Broadband Map layers filtered to Clark County, showing where providers report LTE and 5G service.
  • Household adoption (subscriptions and devices): Best referenced using Census.gov ACS tables for Clark County, particularly:
    • Household internet subscription types (including cellular data plan)
    • Household smartphone ownership and other device categories

Local and state reference points

  • County-level civic context and local services are typically documented on the county’s official site and municipal pages; the county profile and governance information are accessible via Clark County, Illinois official website.
  • State broadband planning and program context is maintained by Connect Illinois, which provides statewide mapping, policy, and funding context relevant to rural connectivity constraints and expansion efforts.

Social Media Trends

Clark County is a small, largely rural county in east‑central Illinois on the Indiana border, with Marshall as the county seat and the Wabash River corridor shaping local commuting and media markets. Its economy is oriented around agriculture, small manufacturing, and local services, and residents commonly rely on regional hubs (including the Terre Haute, IN area) for news, shopping, and entertainment—factors that typically reinforce the importance of mobile-first social platforms and local/community groups for information sharing.

Data availability note (county-specific limits)

Publicly accessible, high-quality datasets rarely report social media penetration, platform shares, age splits, and gender splits at the county level for small counties such as Clark County. The most defensible approach is to use national benchmarks and apply them as context for likely local patterns, while avoiding unsupported county-specific percentages. The statistics below therefore use U.S. survey research (notably Pew Research Center) and describe how those patterns generally map onto rural Midwestern counties.

User statistics (penetration; share active on social platforms)

  • Overall U.S. adult social media use: About 69% of U.S. adults report using at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2023). Source: Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2023.
  • Rural vs. urban context: Pew reports lower social media adoption in rural areas than urban/suburban areas, but still a clear majority of adults use social media. Source: Pew’s 2023 social media use report (urban/rural breakdown).
  • Local implication for Clark County: As a rural county, usage levels are generally expected to track below national urban averages but remain majority-adult adoption, with especially strong use among working-age adults and parents for community updates and local commerce.

Age group trends (which age groups use social media most)

Pew consistently finds social media use is highest among younger adults and declines with age:

  • Ages 18–29: near-universal use (around ~80–90%+, platform-dependent).
  • Ages 30–49: strong majority use (often ~70–80%).
  • Ages 50–64: majority use (often ~50–70%).
  • Ages 65+: lower but substantial adoption (often ~35–50%, platform-dependent, with Facebook use comparatively higher than newer platforms). Source for age patterns: Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2023 (age breakdowns).

Local pattern commonly observed in rural counties: Facebook usage remains comparatively high among older adults, while younger adults concentrate more on short-form video and messaging-forward platforms.

Gender breakdown

Pew’s platform-by-platform results show modest gender differences overall, with larger gaps on certain platforms:

  • Women are more likely than men to use Pinterest and are often slightly more likely to use Facebook.
  • Men are more represented on some discussion- or content-creation-heavy platforms in certain surveys, while Instagram and TikTok tend to be closer to parity or vary by age more than gender. Source: Pew platform usage tables by gender.

Local implication for Clark County: Gender differences typically show up most in platform choice (e.g., Pinterest vs. Reddit-style communities) rather than in whether someone uses social media at all.

Most-used platforms (U.S. adult usage shares; used as benchmarks)

Pew’s 2023 U.S. adult platform usage estimates (rounded, varies by survey wave) commonly show:

Local pattern commonly associated with rural Midwestern counties:

  • Facebook and YouTube tend to over-index due to broad age coverage and utility for local news, groups, and how-to/entertainment video.
  • TikTok and Instagram usage tends to concentrate among younger adults.
  • LinkedIn tends to be lower in areas with fewer large corporate/professional-office job centers, though still used by commuters and job seekers.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

  • Community information-seeking: Rural counties often rely on Facebook Groups and local pages for school updates, events, road/weather alerts, and community announcements. Pew finds Facebook remains widely used among adults, especially older cohorts, supporting this pattern. Source: Pew Research Center platform usage (Facebook age skew).
  • Video-first consumption: YouTube is the most-used platform among U.S. adults, consistent with heavy use for entertainment, instructional content, and local/regional news clips. Source: Pew: YouTube adoption among U.S. adults.
  • Short-form video growth among younger adults: TikTok use is notably higher among younger age groups, shaping attention toward short video and creator content rather than text-first updates. Source: Pew: TikTok usage by age.
  • Messaging and sharing: Platform behavior in smaller communities typically emphasizes private sharing (DMs), local buy/sell postings, and event coordination, with public posting less frequent among older users than passive consumption (scrolling, reading, watching).
  • Cross-platform pattern: Many users maintain Facebook for local/community ties and YouTube/TikTok for entertainment, with Instagram used more for social circles and visual sharing among younger adults.

Sources used: Primary benchmarks from Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2023), which provides nationally representative U.S. adult estimates and demographic breakouts.

Family & Associates Records

Clark County, Illinois maintains family-related vital records in coordination with the State of Illinois. Birth and death records are generally filed locally and registered with the state; certified copies are typically issued through the county clerk’s office for county events. Marriage and civil union records are commonly maintained by the county clerk, along with related indexes and license applications. Adoption records are not maintained as open public records; they are handled through the courts and state processes and are generally restricted.

Public-facing online databases in Clark County are more common for court and property matters than for vital records. Court-related associate/family matters (such as probate, guardianship, and family law case dockets where available) are accessed through the Clark County Circuit Clerk, which provides office information and record access guidance. Land, deed, and other recorded instruments used for family/associate research are accessed through the Clark County Recorder.

In-person access is typically available at the respective county offices during business hours, with identification and applicable fees commonly required for certified vital records. Illinois restricts access to birth records and many death records to eligible requesters; adoption records and many court files involving minors are confidential or sealed. State-level vital record policies and ordering information are published by the Illinois Department of Public Health (Vital Records).

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

Marriage records (licenses and certificates)

  • Marriage license application and license: Created when a couple applies to marry through the county clerk; typically includes the application and the issued license.
  • Marriage certificate / return: Completed after the ceremony and returned to the clerk for recording; serves as the county’s recorded evidence that the marriage occurred.
  • Marriage verification letters/certified copies: Issued by the county clerk based on the recorded marriage record.

Divorce records (dissolution of marriage)

  • Divorce (dissolution) case file: Court record created and maintained by the circuit court; may include petition/complaint, summons, appearances, motions, orders, parenting allocations, support orders, and related filings.
  • Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage (divorce decree): Final court judgment ending the marriage; may incorporate or reference a marital settlement agreement and allocation of parental responsibilities.

Annulment records

  • Illinois uses “Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage” for annulment-type actions. Records are maintained as a circuit court case file, with a final judgment declaring invalidity when granted.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

Marriage (Clark County, Illinois)

  • Filing/recording office: Clark County Clerk maintains marriage license records and recorded marriage returns/certificates for marriages licensed in the county.
  • Access: Requests are typically handled by the County Clerk’s office for certified copies or verification. Access methods commonly include in-person and written/mail requests; availability of online ordering varies by county and vendor arrangements.

Divorce and annulment (Clark County, Illinois)

  • Filing/recording office: Clerk of the Circuit Court (Clark County Circuit Court) maintains divorce (dissolution) and invalidity (annulment) case records, including final judgments.
  • Access:
    • Case records are accessed through the Circuit Clerk’s records services (in person and, where available, through remote access/record search tools).
    • Certified copies of final judgments or specific filings are issued by the Circuit Clerk.
    • Some high-level case information may also appear through statewide/judiciary electronic access systems where enabled, while the official record remains with the Circuit Clerk.

State-level vital records context (Illinois)

  • The Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records maintains statewide vital records and issues certified copies consistent with state law and administrative rules. County clerks remain the primary local custodians of county-recorded marriage records; circuit clerks remain custodians of local court dissolution/invalidity records.

Typical information included in these records

Marriage license / marriage record

Common elements include:

  • Full names of the parties (including prior names where reported)
  • Date and place of marriage (county/city or venue as recorded)
  • Ages and/or dates of birth (varies by form and era)
  • Residences/addresses at time of application (varies)
  • Names of parents (sometimes included depending on form and period)
  • Officiant name and authority, and date license was issued/returned
  • Witness information (when required or recorded)

Divorce (dissolution) court records and decree

Common elements include:

  • Names of the parties and case number
  • Filing date, venue (Clark County Circuit Court), and type of action (dissolution)
  • Final judgment date and terms of dissolution
  • Findings and orders on:
    • Property and debt allocation
    • Maintenance (spousal support), when ordered
    • Child-related determinations (allocation of parental responsibilities/parenting time), child support, health insurance responsibilities, and related provisions, where applicable
  • Restored name orders (where granted)

Annulment (declaration of invalidity) court records and judgment

Common elements include:

  • Names of the parties and case number
  • Alleged grounds and statutory basis asserted in filings
  • Final judgment declaring the marriage invalid (when granted)
  • Orders addressing property, support, and child-related issues when applicable under Illinois law

Privacy or legal restrictions

Marriage records

  • Marriage records are generally treated as public records at the county level, but certified copies are commonly issued under administrative identity/eligibility requirements and fee schedules.
  • Requests may require proof of identity and sufficient details to locate the record; some counties limit issuance of certified copies to the parties or other qualifying requesters under local practice.

Divorce and annulment court records

  • Illinois court records are generally presumed open, but access can be restricted by:
    • Sealing orders entered by the court
    • Confidential statutory categories (commonly affecting adoption-related matters, certain victim protections, and specific sensitive information)
    • Redaction rules for personal identifiers (such as Social Security numbers and certain financial account information) in publicly accessible documents
  • In family cases, some components (such as reports, evaluations, or specific child-related materials) may be subject to limited access by court order, even when the case itself is not sealed.
  • Certified copies of judgments are obtainable from the Circuit Clerk, subject to applicable rules, fees, and any sealing/confidentiality orders.

Practical access limitations

  • Older records may be archived in off-site storage or microfilm and may require additional processing time.
  • Remote access to detailed document images is not uniform and may be limited even when docket-level information is available.

Education, Employment and Housing

Clark County is in east‑central Illinois on the Indiana border along the Wabash River, with Marshall (county seat) as its primary population center and a largely rural settlement pattern outside a few small towns. The county has an older‑leaning age profile typical of many downstate Illinois counties, modest population density, and an economy shaped by local public services, small manufacturing/transport activity, agriculture, and cross‑county commuting to larger job centers.

Education Indicators

Public schools (count and names)

Public K–12 education in Clark County is primarily delivered through a small number of district systems serving multiple towns and rural areas. The main public high schools and commonly referenced schools include:

  • Marshall High School (Marshall)
  • Martinsville High School (Martinsville)
  • Casey‑Westfield High School (Casey)
  • Cumberland High School (Toledo)

Associated feeder schools typically include elementary and junior high/middle schools aligned to those districts (school counts vary by consolidation and grade configurations). School and district rosters are maintained through the Illinois State Board of Education “Report Card” system, which provides current school listings and performance metrics for each district and building (Illinois Report Card (ISBE)).

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Student–teacher ratios: District‑level student–teacher ratios in rural Illinois counties commonly fall in the low‑to‑mid teens (students per teacher). Building‑level ratios vary by grade span and enrollment and are best represented at the district/school level in the ISBE Report Card (ISBE school and district profiles).
  • Graduation rates: Four‑year high school graduation rates are published annually by ISBE for each high school and district. Rural districts in this region frequently report graduation rates in the upper‑80% to mid‑90% range, with year‑to‑year variation by cohort size. The most recent verified rates are the ISBE Report Card values for the specific high schools listed above.

Proxy note: A single countywide student–teacher ratio and graduation rate are not typically published as one figure; ISBE reports these at school and district levels.

Adult education levels

Adult educational attainment is reported through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). For the latest county estimates, the most direct source is ACS “Educational Attainment” tables for Clark County, IL (U.S. Census Bureau data.census.gov). In broad downstate Illinois rural‑county patterns, attainment typically shows:

  • A majority with high school diploma or equivalent (or some college) as the modal outcome.
  • A smaller share with a bachelor’s degree or higher than Illinois statewide averages.

Proxy note: Exact percentages vary by the most recent ACS 5‑year release and should be taken from the county’s ACS table outputs.

Notable academic and career programs

Programs are district‑specific and commonly include:

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE)/vocational offerings, often including agriculture, skilled trades, business, and applied technology pathways typical of rural Illinois high schools.
  • Dual credit / early college coursework via regional community college partnerships (common in Illinois and often reflected in district course catalogs).
  • Advanced Placement (AP) offerings are present in many Illinois high schools, though the number of courses depends on staff capacity and student demand; participation and exam data are reported in ISBE profiles where offered.

The most authoritative current program lists are found in district course catalogs and ISBE summaries (ISBE Report Card).

School safety measures and counseling resources

Illinois public schools generally implement safety planning aligned with state requirements and common practices such as controlled entry points, visitor management, emergency drills, and coordination with local law enforcement and emergency management. Student support resources typically include:

  • School counselors (academic planning, postsecondary guidance, social‑emotional support)
  • Access to school social workers and psychologists (often shared across buildings in smaller districts) Staffing levels for student support services are reported in ISBE staffing and “Student Characteristics/Support” sections (ISBE staffing and student support indicators).

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent available)

County unemployment rates are published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). The most recent annual and monthly unemployment rate series for Clark County is available through BLS LAUS (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics).

Proxy note: Without embedding a specific month/year pull, the most current figure should be taken from the latest LAUS release for Clark County; rural downstate counties often fluctuate seasonally and track regional conditions.

Major industries and employment sectors

The county’s employment base typically reflects rural downstate structures:

  • Educational services, health care, and social assistance (schools, clinics, long‑term care)
  • Retail trade and accommodation/food services (local commerce)
  • Manufacturing and transportation/warehousing (smaller plants, logistics corridors)
  • Agriculture (farm operations and related services), though many agricultural jobs are not fully captured as wage-and-salary employment in some datasets

Industry composition can be verified using ACS “Industry by Occupation” tables on data.census.gov and regional labor market profiles (ACS industry and occupation tables).

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational distribution in similarly situated counties commonly includes:

  • Management/business/financial and office/administrative support
  • Sales and related
  • Production, transportation, and material moving
  • Construction and extraction
  • Healthcare support and practitioner roles (often concentrated in a few employers) Exact shares are reported in ACS occupation tables for Clark County (ACS occupation tables).

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

Commuting in Clark County is typically characterized by:

  • High reliance on personal vehicles due to rural settlement patterns and limited fixed-route transit.
  • A moderate mean commute time consistent with commuting to nearby towns and regional hubs.

The most recent mean travel time to work and commuting mode shares (drive alone, carpool, work from home) are available in ACS commuting tables (ACS commuting (Journey to Work) tables).

Local employment vs. out‑of‑county work

Rural Illinois counties commonly show a notable share of residents working outside the county, especially to adjacent counties with larger employers. ACS “Place of Work” and county-to-county commuting flow datasets provide the best measurement of:

  • Residents employed within Clark County versus
  • Residents commuting to other Illinois counties or to Indiana

Primary sources include ACS commuting flow products and Census commuting tables (Census commuting and workplace geography tables).

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

Homeownership in rural downstate counties is typically above the Illinois statewide average, with a correspondingly smaller rental market concentrated in the main towns. The latest owner‑occupied vs. renter‑occupied percentages for Clark County are published in ACS housing tenure tables (ACS housing tenure tables).

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median home value (owner‑occupied) is reported in ACS (median value of owner‑occupied housing units).
  • Recent trends in many downstate counties have included modest appreciation compared with major metro areas, with variability driven by interest rates, limited inventory, and property condition/age.

The most recent median value estimate for Clark County is available via ACS “Value” tables on data.census.gov (ACS home value tables).

Proxy note: For short‑term trend lines (year‑over‑year sales prices), private real estate indices often lack robust coverage for small counties; ACS provides consistent multi‑year estimates rather than monthly market pricing.

Typical rent prices

Median gross rent is reported in ACS and generally reflects:

  • Lower rents than metro Illinois markets
  • Limited multi‑family inventory, with rentals concentrated in town centers and small apartment buildings

The current median gross rent for Clark County is available through ACS rent tables (ACS rent tables).

Types of housing

Housing stock is typically dominated by:

  • Single‑family detached homes in towns and along rural roads
  • Manufactured homes in some rural areas
  • A smaller supply of small apartment buildings and duplexes, mainly in Marshall and other town centers
  • Rural lots and farm-adjacent residences, with larger parcels outside municipal limits

These distributions are summarized in ACS “Units in Structure” tables (ACS housing structure type tables).

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

  • Town neighborhoods (especially in and around Marshall) generally provide the closest access to schools, parks, libraries, grocery/pharmacy services, and civic facilities.
  • Outlying areas and small villages tend to feature larger lots and agricultural land uses with longer drive times to full-service amenities and schools, reflecting a school-district bus and car-based access pattern.

Property tax overview (rate and typical homeowner cost)

Property taxes in Illinois are administered locally and vary by township, municipality, school district, and other taxing bodies. The most consistent county-level references include:

  • Effective property tax rates and median property tax paid estimates from ACS (taxes paid as reported by households).
  • Illinois Department of Revenue and county treasurer publications for levy and billing mechanics.

County-level homeowner tax burden can be summarized using the ACS “Median real estate taxes paid” metric for Clark County, available on data.census.gov (ACS property tax tables). Effective rates and bills commonly reflect Illinois’ relatively high reliance on property taxation to fund schools and local services, with substantial variation by location within the county.

Proxy note: A single “average rate” is not uniform across the county due to overlapping taxing districts; ACS median taxes paid provides a standardized county estimate, while parcel-level bills are determined locally.*

Table of Contents

Other Counties in Illinois