Pope County is a sparsely populated county in far southern Illinois, located along the Ohio River and bordering Kentucky. It lies within the Shawnee Hills region and forms part of the state’s southeastern edge, characterized by rugged uplands, wooded ridges, and river valleys. Established in 1816 and named for U.S. Senator Nathaniel Pope, the county developed around small farming and river-oriented settlements typical of southern Illinois. Pope County is small in scale, with a population of roughly 4,000 residents, and it remains predominantly rural with limited urban development. Land use centers on agriculture and forestry, alongside public lands and recreation areas associated with Shawnee National Forest. The landscape includes limestone bluffs, caves, and extensive hardwood forests, contributing to a cultural identity linked to southern Illinois’s “Little Egypt” region. The county seat is Golconda, a historic river town on the Ohio River.

Pope County Local Demographic Profile

Pope County is a small, rural county in far southern Illinois, located along the Ohio River and bordering Kentucky. The county seat is Golconda, and much of the county lies within the Shawnee Hills region of Southern Illinois.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Pope County, Illinois, Pope County had:

  • Population (2020 Census): 4,413
  • Population estimate (July 1, 2023): 4,003

Age & Gender

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Pope County, Illinois (most recently reported 2019–2023 ACS 5-year profiles), key age and sex indicators include:

  • Persons under 18 years: 15.7%
  • Persons 65 years and over: 30.5%
  • Female persons: 45.8% (male: 54.2%)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Pope County, Illinois (2019–2023 ACS 5-year), the county’s racial and ethnic composition includes:

  • White alone: 93.8%
  • Black or African American alone: 0.3%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.1%
  • Asian alone: 0.1%
  • Two or more races: 5.7%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 1.1%

Household & Housing Data

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Pope County, Illinois (primarily 2019–2023 ACS 5-year), household and housing indicators include:

  • Households (2019–2023): 1,826
  • Persons per household: 2.07
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 84.2%
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $95,700
  • Median gross rent: $711

For local government and planning resources, visit the Pope County official website.

Email Usage

Pope County, Illinois is a sparsely populated rural county in the Shawnee Hills region, where longer distances between households and rugged terrain can raise the cost and complexity of wired and wireless buildout, shaping how residents access digital communication. Direct county-level email usage statistics are generally not published; email adoption is commonly inferred from proxies such as household broadband subscription and computer availability.

Digital access indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau data.census.gov portal (American Community Survey tables on “Computer and Internet Use”) show that broadband subscription and in-home computing access are key constraints on routine email use, with rural counties typically facing lower subscription rates than urban areas. Age structure also matters: older age distributions tend to correlate with lower adoption of newer online services and higher reliance on assisted access; Pope County’s age profile can be reviewed via ACS demographic tables. Gender distribution is not strongly predictive of email use compared with age and connectivity, but it is available in the same ACS sources.

Connectivity limitations are reflected in availability and service-quality measures published through the FCC National Broadband Map, which documents provider-reported coverage and technology types relevant to reliable email access.

Mobile Phone Usage

Pope County is a small, predominantly rural county in far southern Illinois along the Ohio River, with extensive forested and rugged terrain associated with the Shawnee National Forest region and relatively low population density. These physical and settlement characteristics are commonly associated with more uneven cellular coverage (especially indoors and in valleys) and fewer redundant network paths compared with metropolitan counties.

Scope and data limitations (county-level vs state/national)

County-specific measures of mobile device type (smartphone vs basic phone), mobile-only households, and mobile internet usage behavior are not consistently published for every U.S. county in a single source. County-level availability is best documented through federal broadband and cellular coverage datasets, while adoption is generally captured through survey-based estimates that are often reported at state or metro levels rather than for small rural counties. The overview below separates network availability (where service exists) from adoption/usage (whether residents subscribe and how they use service) and cites the most authoritative public sources available.

County context relevant to mobile connectivity

  • Rural settlement pattern and low density: More miles of roadway and terrain per subscriber typically raises per-user network deployment costs and can reduce site density, affecting coverage consistency and peak-speed performance.
  • Topography and land cover: Hilly areas, river valleys, and heavily wooded tracts can reduce signal propagation and increase the gap between “outdoor modeled coverage” and “reliable indoor service.”
  • Transportation and river corridor: Coverage often clusters along main highways and towns; sparsely populated interior areas can have larger dead zones.

Authoritative baseline geography and population context for the county is available via the U.S. Census Bureau’s county profile pages (see U.S. Census Bureau (Census.gov) for general county lookup and demographic tables).

Network availability (coverage): 4G LTE and 5G

Definition: Availability describes where a provider reports service meeting a technology threshold; it does not indicate that households subscribe or that performance is consistent indoors.

FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) coverage reporting

The primary federal source for location-based broadband and mobile availability is the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection and accompanying maps and datasets. The FCC publishes:

  • Reported mobile broadband availability by provider and technology (including LTE and 5G variants)
  • Availability by location, with data that can be filtered to county level

Relevant sources:

What this means for Pope County: FCC map layers can be used to identify where LTE and 5G are reported within county boundaries, but those results represent provider-reported modeled coverage at specified confidence/threshold assumptions and can differ from user experience in rugged or wooded terrain.

Illinois statewide broadband mapping and mobile context

Illinois maintains broadband planning and mapping resources that provide context on rural connectivity constraints, investment programs, and coverage gaps. These sources typically emphasize fixed broadband but often include discussion of wireless and unserved/underserved areas.

4G LTE availability pattern (general for rural southern Illinois):

  • LTE is usually the baseline wide-area mobile technology, but signal strength and indoor reliability can vary substantially outside towns and along less-traveled roads.
  • In rural counties, roaming and provider-specific differences can be material; reported LTE availability may not translate to equivalent quality across carriers.

5G availability pattern (general for rural counties):

  • 5G presence in rural counties is often uneven, with coverage more likely in or near population centers and along primary corridors.
  • Many rural deployments rely on low-band 5G, which improves coverage reach but may not deliver large speed gains over LTE; higher-frequency 5G tends to be concentrated in denser areas.

County-specific, provider-by-provider 4G/5G availability should be taken directly from the FCC National Broadband Map for Pope County, Illinois, since publicly summarized county tables are not consistently published in narrative form.

Adoption and access indicators (household subscription and device access)

Definition: Adoption refers to whether people actually have mobile service, internet subscriptions, and devices, independent of whether networks are present.

ACS survey measures: internet subscriptions and device access

The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) includes tables on:

  • Household internet subscription types
  • Household computer/device availability (including smartphones in certain table structures)

ACS estimates can be accessed through:

County-level availability of mobile-specific adoption metrics:

  • ACS can provide county estimates for certain internet subscription categories and device access, but the most mobile-specific indicators may be limited by small sample size in sparsely populated counties.
  • Where ACS publishes county estimates, they describe household adoption, not coverage.

Because Pope County is small, ACS margins of error can be large for detailed categories. For definitive county adoption metrics, ACS tables should be retrieved directly from data.census.gov using Pope County, Illinois as the geography and focusing on “Internet Subscriptions” and “Computers and Internet Use” tables.

Mobile-only access and substitution patterns

Nationally, rural areas show more variability in reliance on mobile-only internet versus fixed broadband. However, county-specific mobile-only household rates for Pope County are not consistently published in a stable, county-level series outside ACS-derived tabulations, and those may be statistically noisy in small counties. Any claims about “mobile-only” prevalence in Pope County require direct ACS extraction and citation.

Mobile internet usage patterns (as distinct from availability)

Usage patterns include what technology people actually use day-to-day (LTE vs 5G), typical performance, and the extent to which mobile substitutes for home broadband.

What is directly measurable at county level:

  • FCC BDC indicates where 4G/5G is reported available, not the share of users actively using 5G-capable plans or devices.
  • Public performance datasets (speed tests) exist, but they are not authoritative measures of adoption and can be biased by who runs tests and where.

Practical distinction for Pope County:

  • Network availability: LTE and some level of 5G may be reported in parts of the county on the FCC map.
  • Actual usage/adoption: The share of residents on 5G devices/plans, the frequency of mobile hotspot use, and mobile-only substitution are not reliably reported as official county statistics for small rural counties. These require either ACS extraction (for subscription categories) or proprietary carrier analytics.

Common device types (smartphones vs other devices)

At county scale, device-type composition is not routinely published as an official statistic beyond certain ACS “computer/device” categories. Key points that can be stated without overreaching:

  • Smartphones are the dominant consumer mobile device type in the U.S., but the precise smartphone share in Pope County is not provided as a standard county KPI in federal reporting.
  • Non-smartphone devices (basic phones), tablets, and dedicated hotspots exist but are not typically enumerated in public county datasets with high precision.

The most defensible county-level approach is to use ACS device-access tables from data.census.gov where available, noting margins of error.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Pope County

Geography and land cover

  • Hills/valleys and forest cover can reduce line-of-sight propagation, contributing to patchy service and weaker indoor reception even where outdoor coverage is reported.
  • Distance between towns and low housing density reduces the economic incentive for dense site placement, which can limit capacity and consistent high-speed service.

Population density and settlement distribution

  • Smaller towns and dispersed housing lead to:
    • Greater reliance on a limited number of macro cell sites
    • Higher sensitivity to congestion during events or peak periods where fewer sites serve larger areas

Income, age, and broadband alternatives (adoption-side factors)

  • Household income, age structure, and fixed broadband availability are correlated with device ownership and subscription choices, but county-specific causal statements require direct statistical evidence.
  • ACS demographic and income tables from data.census.gov can be paired with ACS internet subscription tables to describe adoption differences, with the caveat of sampling error in small counties.

Summary: clear separation of availability vs adoption

  • Availability (supply-side): The authoritative county-level view of 4G LTE and 5G reported coverage is provided by the FCC National Broadband Map and the FCC BDC. Terrain and rural density in Pope County can make real-world experience less uniform than modeled coverage.
  • Adoption (demand-side): The most credible public source for county-level household access indicators is the ACS via data.census.gov, but some mobile-specific measures may have large margins of error in a small rural county. Claims about smartphone share, 5G uptake, or mobile-only reliance require direct table retrieval and should not be inferred from availability alone.

Social Media Trends

Pope County is a small, rural county in far southern Illinois, bordering the Ohio River and anchored by the county seat of Golconda. The area’s low population density, strong outdoor recreation presence (notably portions of the Shawnee National Forest region), and longer travel distances to services tend to align with heavier reliance on mobile internet for communication and local information, while also reflecting statewide and national usage patterns rather than distinct, county-specific platform ecosystems.

User statistics (penetration and active use)

  • County-specific social media penetration rates are not published in standard federal statistical series; most reliable measurement comes from national surveys and platform ad-audience tools rather than county-level public datasets.
  • National benchmarks commonly used to approximate local adoption:
  • Practical local interpretation for Pope County: overall resident activity on social platforms is generally expected to track the U.S. adult baseline (roughly ~7 in 10 adults), with participation shaped by broadband availability and smartphone dependence typical of rural counties.

Age group trends

National survey patterns (used as the most reliable proxy where county-level age-by-platform data is unavailable):

  • 18–29: Highest overall social media use across platforms; also higher usage of visually oriented and short-form video platforms.
  • 30–49: High usage, often focused on Facebook/Instagram and YouTube, plus community and event coordination.
  • 50–64: Moderate-to-high usage, skewing toward Facebook and YouTube more than newer youth-dominant platforms.
  • 65+: Lowest overall adoption, but Facebook and YouTube remain meaningful channels for this group. Source for age-by-platform patterns: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.

Gender breakdown

Nationally, gender differences vary by platform more than by “any social media” usage:

  • Overall social media use: men and women are broadly similar in adoption at the “any social media” level in major surveys.
  • Platform tendencies (U.S. adults):
    • Women tend to be more represented on Pinterest and often slightly higher on Instagram.
    • Men tend to be more represented on platforms such as Reddit and some discussion-forward communities. Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.

Most-used platforms (percentages where available)

County-level platform shares are not published in a standardized way; the most-cited, methodologically consistent benchmarks are national survey estimates:

Local relevance for Pope County (typical rural pattern):

  • Facebook and YouTube commonly function as the highest-reach platforms for local news sharing, community groups, events, and informational video.
  • TikTok/Instagram/Snapchat usage is more concentrated among younger residents, aligning with national age skews.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

  • Community information and local commerce: Rural counties commonly show heavier practical use of Facebook (groups, announcements, buy/sell postings, event promotion) due to its network effects and community-tooling; this mirrors broader U.S. patterns where Facebook remains a high-reach platform among adults. Source context: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.
  • Video-first consumption: YouTube’s very high adult reach supports informational and entertainment use across ages; short-form video engagement is strongest among younger cohorts, consistent with national patterns for TikTok and Instagram. Sources: Pew adult platform estimates and Pew teen platform patterns.
  • Mobile-centered usage: In rural settings, smartphone access often substitutes for fixed broadband in day-to-day social use, contributing to high engagement with lightweight, mobile-optimized feeds (Facebook, Instagram) and streaming video where connectivity allows. For broader rural connectivity context, see FCC broadband deployment data.
  • Engagement cadence: Posting frequency tends to be lower than passive consumption (scrolling, watching, reacting) across the U.S., with active posting more concentrated among younger users and among participants in community groups; this is consistent with the general “participation inequality” pattern documented in digital community research, though not reported as a single standardized county metric.

Note on data limits: Public, authoritative sources generally report social media usage at the national (and sometimes state) level rather than by county; the percentages above are national survey estimates used as the most reliable reference baseline for Pope County in the absence of county-specific measurement.

Family & Associates Records

Pope County family-related vital records (birth and death certificates) are created and maintained at the county level by the Pope County Clerk, with statewide oversight and standards set by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Division of Vital Records. Access typically occurs through the county clerk’s office in person or by mail, with county procedures published through the Pope County Clerk and general statewide ordering information provided by IDPH Vital Records.

Adoption records in Illinois are generally managed through state court and child welfare systems rather than county clerk vital-record files; access is restricted and handled through formal administrative or court processes (including confidential records and sealed files).

Public databases in Pope County more commonly relate to court, property, and recorded documents than to birth/adoption records. Court case access (including family-related civil matters) is available through the Illinois judiciary’s electronic access portal, Illinois Courts e-Access, and locally through the Pope County Circuit Clerk. Recorded documents affecting family and associates (deeds, liens, releases) are maintained by the Pope County Recorder.

Privacy restrictions apply to vital records: Illinois limits certified birth/death certificate issuance to eligible requesters, and sealed adoption records are not publicly searchable.

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage licenses (and certificates/returns): Created when a couple applies to marry and the license is issued; a completed return is filed after the ceremony is performed.
  • Divorce records (case files and decrees/judgments): Created as part of a civil court case; the final Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage (decree) is the core document reflecting the court’s final orders.
  • Annulments: In Illinois, annulment is generally handled as a court action for a Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage. Records are maintained as civil case files similar to divorce actions, with a final judgment/order entered by the court.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Marriage records

    • Filed/maintained by: The Pope County Clerk (the county’s local registrar for marriage licensing and returns).
    • Access methods: In-person or written request to the County Clerk’s office for certified copies or verification, subject to office procedures and identification/fee requirements. Some indexes and basic information may also be available through local or statewide genealogical repositories, but the official custodian is the County Clerk.

  • Divorce and annulment records

    • Filed/maintained by: The Pope County Circuit Clerk, as these are court records of the Illinois circuit court (First Judicial Circuit for Pope County).
    • Access methods: Case records are accessible through the Circuit Clerk’s records request processes. Docket information and case summaries may be available through Illinois court access systems where offered; certified copies of final judgments are obtained from the Circuit Clerk, subject to copying/certification fees and any applicable access restrictions.

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage licenses/certificates

    • Full names of the parties (and often prior names)
    • Date and place of marriage
    • Ages and/or dates of birth
    • Residences and sometimes birthplaces
    • Names of officiant and witnesses (where recorded)
    • Date the license was issued and date the return was filed
    • Certificate number or license number

  • Divorce decrees/judgments (dissolution of marriage)

    • Caption and case number; court and county
    • Names of the parties; date of judgment
    • Findings regarding jurisdiction and grounds (as stated in the judgment)
    • Orders addressing allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time (when applicable)
    • Child support, maintenance (spousal support), and health insurance provisions (when applicable)
    • Property division and allocation of debts
    • Restoration of a former name (when ordered)

  • Annulment judgments (declaration of invalidity)

    • Caption and case number; court and county
    • Names of the parties; date of judgment
    • Court findings supporting invalidity under Illinois law
    • Orders addressing property, support, and parenting issues where applicable

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Public-record status and limits

    • Illinois marriage records held by a county clerk are generally treated as public records, though access may be limited for certified copies by identification requirements and office policy consistent with state law.
    • Divorce and annulment records are generally court records and are presumptively public, but access can be limited by:
      • Sealed cases or sealed documents by court order
      • Statutory protections for specific information (for example, confidential identifiers and certain sensitive information)
      • Redaction requirements for personal data (such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and other protected identifiers) in filed documents

  • Certified copies

    • Certified copies of marriage licenses/returns and certified copies of divorce/annulment judgments are issued by the respective custodians (County Clerk for marriage; Circuit Clerk for court judgments) and may require payment of statutory fees and compliance with identification/record-request rules.

Relevant agencies for official access:

Education, Employment and Housing

Pope County is a rural county in far southern Illinois along the Ohio River, with Golconda as the county seat. It is part of the Shawnee Hills region and is characterized by small towns, dispersed rural housing, and a land base that includes significant public recreation areas (notably Shawnee National Forest). The county has one of the smallest populations in Illinois and an older-than-state-average age profile typical of many rural counties, which shapes school enrollment, labor force size, and housing demand.

Education Indicators

Public schools (counts and names)

  • Public school district: Pope County is primarily served by Pope County Community Unit School District 1.
  • Number of public schools: 2 main public schools are typically listed for the district:
    • Pope County Elementary School
    • Pope County High School
      School and district profiles are available via the Illinois State Board of Education “Illinois Report Card” for the district and each school (see the district search at Illinois Report Card).

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Student–teacher ratio: Reported ratios vary by year and grade span; rural districts in southern Illinois commonly fall in the low-to-mid teens (students per teacher). The most current district/school-specific ratios for Pope County CUSD 1 are published in the Illinois Report Card school and district profiles (Illinois Report Card).
  • Graduation rate: The official 4-year cohort high school graduation rate is published annually for Pope County High School in the Illinois Report Card. In very small cohorts, year-to-year rates can fluctuate materially due to small class sizes.

Adult educational attainment

  • High school diploma (or equivalent): Pope County’s adult attainment typically shows a high share with at least a high school diploma, consistent with statewide rural patterns.
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: The county generally has a lower bachelor’s-degree-or-higher share than the Illinois statewide average, reflecting limited local higher-education concentration and the county’s older age structure.
    The most recent county-level educational attainment distributions are available from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) via data.census.gov (table series commonly used includes educational attainment for population 25+).

Notable programs (STEM, career/technical, AP)

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE)/vocational coursework: Rural Illinois high schools frequently emphasize CTE pathways (agriculture, trades, business/industry-aligned courses) and work-based learning. District- and school-reported program offerings are documented in Illinois Report Card narratives and course/program indicators (Illinois Report Card).
  • Advanced Placement (AP) / dual credit: Small rural high schools often rely more on dual credit partnerships (commonly through regional community colleges) than on a large AP catalog; the Illinois Report Card provides AP participation/exam data where offered and reported.
  • STEM: STEM offerings are typically delivered through core math/science sequences, electives, and extracurriculars rather than specialized magnet programs; program detail is best verified through district publications and report card indicators.

School safety measures and counseling resources

  • Illinois public schools operate under state requirements and guidance related to emergency operations planning, drills, and threat assessment practices, and they report certain climate/safety indicators through state systems. District-level safety policies are generally published locally, while state-level guidance is maintained by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
  • Counseling and student support: Schools typically provide school counseling services (academic planning, postsecondary advising, social-emotional supports), with staffing levels and student support indicators reported in state profiles where available; small districts may have limited counseling FTE and may supplement via regional cooperatives.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

  • The benchmark source for annual county unemployment is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Pope County’s annual unemployment rate for the most recent completed year is available through the BLS and Illinois workforce dashboards (see BLS LAUS).
    Note: In very small labor markets, monthly rates are more volatile; annual averages are typically used for stability.

Major industries and employment sectors

Employment in Pope County reflects a rural/service and public-sector mix, commonly including:

  • Local government and public education
  • Health care and social assistance (often a major employer category in rural counties)
  • Retail trade and accommodation/food services (including tourism tied to outdoor recreation)
  • Construction and small-scale manufacturing/repair
  • Agriculture/forestry-related activity (often more significant in land use than in payroll employment)
    Industry composition and employment counts by sector are available via the ACS and the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns (CBP), accessible through data.census.gov and related Census datasets.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational distribution typically skews toward:

  • Service occupations (healthcare support, food service, protective services)
  • Office/administrative support
  • Sales
  • Construction/extraction and transportation/material moving
  • Management and professional roles (smaller absolute counts than metropolitan areas)
    County occupation shares are available in ACS tables (occupation by employed civilian population 16+), via data.census.gov.

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

  • Commuting: Rural southern Illinois counties commonly show a high share of drive-alone commuting, limited fixed-route transit, and meaningful inter-county commuting for specialized healthcare, education, manufacturing, and retail jobs.
  • Mean commute time: The ACS publishes mean travel time to work (minutes) at the county level; Pope County’s most recent estimate is available via data.census.gov (commuting tables include travel time and means of transportation).

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

  • Out-commuting is typical in small rural counties with limited job density, with residents commuting to larger employment centers in adjacent counties and regional hubs.
  • The most direct measurement is provided by LODES/OnTheMap origin–destination commuting flows from the U.S. Census Bureau (Census OnTheMap), which shows the share of employed residents working inside Pope County versus outside the county.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

  • Pope County’s housing stock is predominantly owner-occupied, consistent with rural Illinois patterns, with a smaller rental market concentrated in town centers and scattered single-family rentals.
  • The most recent owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied shares are available through ACS tenure tables at data.census.gov.

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median home value: ACS provides median value for owner-occupied housing units. Pope County’s median typically trends below the Illinois statewide median due to rural location, lower price pressures, and a higher share of older housing.
  • Trend context: Recent years have generally seen rising nominal home values across Illinois (including many rural markets) due to broader inflation and constrained supply, though appreciation rates in very rural counties can lag metro areas.
    The most current county median value and multi-year comparisons are available in ACS housing value tables at data.census.gov.

Typical rent prices

  • Median gross rent: Available via ACS; Pope County rents typically remain below state averages with limited multifamily inventory.
    Current median gross rent and rent distribution are available at data.census.gov.

Types of housing

  • Single-family detached homes dominate, including older homes in Golconda and unincorporated areas.
  • Manufactured housing and rural lots/acreage properties are more common than in urban counties.
  • Apartments/multifamily units exist but represent a small share, generally clustered near town centers and along primary roads.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools or amenities)

  • Golconda provides the densest cluster of amenities (county offices, small retail/services) and typically the shortest trips to schools for households within town.
  • Unincorporated areas and hamlets offer larger lots and proximity to outdoor recreation (including Shawnee National Forest and Ohio River access), with longer travel times to schools, clinics, and daily retail.

Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)

  • Property taxes in Illinois are high by national standards; county effective rates vary by assessment levels, levy composition (schools are often the largest share), and exemptions.
  • The best public summary of county-level property tax metrics and effective rates is maintained by the Illinois Department of Revenue in its property tax statistics and reports (Illinois Department of Revenue property tax resources).
  • Typical homeowner cost: A practical proxy is the ACS estimate of median real estate taxes paid for owner-occupied housing units, available at data.census.gov. This reflects what owner-occupants report paying (not a millage rate) and aligns well with household budgeting impacts.

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Other Counties in Illinois