Stark County is a small, rural county in northwestern Illinois, located southeast of the Quad Cities region and west of the Illinois River valley. Established in 1839 and named for Revolutionary War general John Stark, it developed as part of the state’s agricultural heartland and remains closely tied to nearby regional trade and service centers. The county has a population of roughly 5,500, making it one of Illinois’s least populous counties. Land use is dominated by row-crop farming, with broad, gently rolling prairie landscapes and scattered woodlands along streams. Economic activity centers on agriculture and related services, with small towns providing local commerce, schools, and community institutions. The county’s settlement pattern is low-density and community life is organized around village centers, churches, and civic events typical of rural Illinois. The county seat is Toulon, which serves as the primary administrative and service hub.

Stark County Local Demographic Profile

Stark County is a rural county in north-central Illinois in the Peoria metropolitan region. The county seat is Toulon, and county services are administered locally through county government.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Stark County, Illinois, Stark County had an estimated population of 5,421 (2023 estimate). The same Census Bureau profile reports a 2020 population of 5,565.

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

Age & Gender

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile provides county-level age and sex indicators (e.g., median age and the share of residents under 18 and age 65+), and sex composition (percent female). Exact breakout counts by detailed age brackets are not provided in QuickFacts; detailed tables are available through the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov portal (American Community Survey and decennial census tables).

Racial & Ethnic Composition

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile for Stark County reports county-level racial composition categories (including White, Black or African American, Asian, and two or more races) and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (of any race). For full Census race/ethnicity table detail and time-series comparisons, use data.census.gov and select Stark County, Illinois.

Household & Housing Data

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile includes key household and housing indicators commonly used for local planning, including:

  • Number of households and persons per household (summary indicators)
  • Owner-occupied housing rate (homeownership)
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units (summary)
  • Median selected monthly owner costs and median gross rent (summary)
  • Total housing units and related housing characteristics (summary)

For the most detailed household structure and housing stock tables (e.g., household type, vacancy, year structure built, and unit size), the authoritative county-level source is data.census.gov (American Community Survey 5-year tables for small-population geographies).

Email Usage

Stark County, Illinois is a small, rural county with low population density, which tends to increase last‑mile broadband costs and can constrain reliable home internet access, shaping how residents reach and use email.

Direct county-level email usage statistics are not routinely published; email adoption is commonly inferred from household internet, broadband, and device access reported by the American Community Survey. The most relevant local proxy indicators are the county’s shares of households with a broadband subscription and with a computer, available via the U.S. Census Bureau data portal (data.census.gov) (ACS tables typically used include DP02/S2801 and S2801).

Age structure also influences email adoption: older populations generally show lower rates of new account creation and higher reliance on assisted access, while working-age adults tend to have higher routine email use for employment and services. Stark County’s age distribution can be referenced through ACS demographic profiles.

Gender distribution is usually a weak predictor of email access relative to age and connectivity; county sex composition is available through ACS profiles.

Connectivity limitations in rural areas include fewer wired provider options and coverage gaps; county-level broadband availability and provider presence are documented in the FCC National Broadband Map.

Mobile Phone Usage

Stark County is a small, largely rural county in north-central Illinois, with population concentrated in and around Toulon and surrounded by agricultural land. Low population density and dispersed housing patterns typical of rural Midwestern counties tend to increase the cost-per-user of cellular infrastructure and can produce more variable coverage than in dense urban areas. Terrain in the county is generally flat to gently rolling farmland, which is usually favorable for radio propagation compared with heavily forested or mountainous regions, though distance from towers remains a primary constraint in sparsely populated areas.

Key distinction: network availability vs. adoption

  • Network availability refers to whether mobile carriers report that service (voice/LTE/5G) is offered in a given area.
  • Household adoption refers to whether residents actually subscribe to mobile service and/or rely on mobile networks for internet access.

County-level adoption metrics for “smartphone ownership” or “mobile-only households” are not consistently published for every county, and many widely used surveys report results at the state or metro level rather than for individual rural counties. The most defensible county-level adoption indicators come from U.S. Census Bureau tables related to internet subscriptions and device types (with caution about sampling error in small counties).

Mobile penetration or access indicators (where available)

County-level adoption indicators (Census-based)

The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) provides local estimates on:

  • Presence of an internet subscription in the household
  • Types of internet subscriptions, including cellular data plan subscriptions
  • Computing devices available in the household (e.g., smartphone, desktop/laptop, tablet)

These tables can be accessed for Stark County through the Census Bureau’s data tools. Because Stark County has a small population, ACS estimates may have larger margins of error than in populous counties; this is a limitation of the underlying sample size rather than a connectivity-specific issue. Use the U.S. Census Bureau data portal for the most current 1-year (where available) or 5-year ACS estimates: Census.gov data portal (data.census.gov).

State-level and program context (Illinois)

Illinois broadband and connectivity planning materials sometimes discuss mobile and fixed access constraints in rural counties but typically do not publish mobile adoption at the county level. The statewide context and mapping resources are maintained by the state broadband office: Connect Illinois (Illinois Office of Broadband).

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

Reported coverage (availability)

For standardized, nationwide coverage reporting:

  • The Federal Communications Commission maintains coverage and provider reporting resources, including mobile broadband availability and challenge processes. These materials are the most direct federal reference for “where service is reported to be available,” distinct from local user experience: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC).
  • The FCC’s consumer-facing maps summarize reported mobile broadband coverage by provider and technology generation in mapped form: FCC National Broadband Map.

At the county scale, rural areas often show:

  • Broad 4G/LTE availability along primary transportation corridors and near towns, with variability in more remote areas depending on tower spacing and spectrum used.
  • 5G availability that may exist in parts of the county, commonly as low-band 5G in many rural markets (wider-area coverage but modest speed increases compared with LTE). County-level generalizations about 5G type (low-/mid-/high-band) and performance are not reliably supported without provider engineering disclosures or systematic testing datasets; the FCC maps reflect reported availability rather than measured speeds.

Typical rural usage patterns (adoption-side, where measurable)

ACS “cellular data plan” subscription data can indicate the extent to which households maintain mobile data service as an internet subscription type. It does not measure:

  • whether mobile data is the primary home connection versus supplemental,
  • actual speeds, latency, or indoor signal quality,
  • the distribution of 4G vs 5G usage among subscribers.

For observed performance (speeds/latency), third-party measurement platforms exist, but county-specific estimates can be methodologically sensitive to sample size and device mix. As a result, official sources more consistently support availability and subscription-type reporting than performance conclusions at the Stark County level.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

The most direct county-level device information available from the ACS concerns household access to:

  • Smartphones
  • Tablets or other portable wireless computers
  • Desktop or laptop computers

These ACS device categories can be used to describe the prevalence of smartphone access relative to traditional computers in Stark County, but they remain household-level survey estimates with associated uncertainty for small counties. The appropriate reference point for these device-type tables is: Census.gov (ACS device and internet subscription tables).

Outside the ACS, widely cited “smartphone ownership” figures are commonly reported at national or state level by survey organizations rather than at the county level, limiting the ability to make definitive statements for Stark County specifically.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Stark County

Rural settlement pattern and infrastructure economics

  • Low population density generally reduces the number of subscribers per tower sector, influencing how quickly carriers expand capacity or newer technologies.
  • Distance from towers can affect indoor coverage and data rates even where outdoor coverage is reported.

Land use and travel corridors

  • Stark County’s agricultural land use and the distribution of residences across small communities means coverage and capacity tend to be strongest near population centers and along major roads, with less consistent service in sparsely settled areas. This describes a common rural pattern; precise within-county differences require mapped availability review (FCC maps) rather than narrative inference: FCC National Broadband Map.

Socioeconomic and age-related factors (data limitations at county level)

  • Socioeconomic status and age composition can influence smartphone and mobile broadband adoption, but definitive Stark County-specific relationships require local survey cross-tabs that are typically not published. The ACS can support general associations by comparing Stark County demographics with subscription/device estimates, but small-sample uncertainty remains a limiting factor. Core demographic profiles and household characteristics are accessible via: Census.gov.

Summary of what can be stated definitively with public sources

  • Availability: The FCC’s Broadband Data Collection and National Broadband Map provide standardized, provider-reported views of LTE and 5G availability in Stark County (coverage reporting, not guaranteed user experience). Sources: FCC BDC, FCC National Broadband Map.
  • Adoption and device access: The ACS provides county-level estimates for household internet subscriptions including cellular data plans and device categories including smartphones, with larger uncertainty in small counties. Source: Census.gov.
  • Limitations: County-specific, definitive statements about 4G vs 5G usage shares, typical mobile speeds, and smartphone ownership rates beyond ACS device-access measures are not consistently available from official county-level datasets.

Social Media Trends

Stark County is a small, rural county in north-central Illinois, with its county seat in Toulon and local hubs such as Wyoming. Its economy is anchored in agriculture and small-town services, and its relatively older age profile and dispersed settlement pattern are regional characteristics that tend to align with higher Facebook use and lower adoption of newer, video-first platforms compared with large metro areas. County-specific social media participation is not routinely measured in public surveys, so the most defensible local estimates use Stark County population totals combined with high-quality statewide/national usage benchmarks.

User statistics (penetration / active users)

Age group trends

Age is the strongest predictor of platform mix in the U.S., and this pattern generally holds in rural Illinois counties:

  • Highest overall usage: Adults 18–29 have the highest social media usage rates across platforms; 30–49 remain high but lower than 18–29.
  • Most Facebook‑skewed groups: Adults 50–64 and 65+ are comparatively more concentrated on Facebook and are less likely to use platforms such as Snapchat or TikTok.
  • Source for age patterns by platform: Pew Research Center platform-by-demographic tables.

Gender breakdown

  • Overall pattern: In U.S. surveys, women report higher usage than men on several major platforms (notably Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest), while differences are smaller on others.
  • Platform-specific gaps: Pinterest is strongly female-skewed; YouTube is broadly used across genders; TikTok and Instagram often show modest female tilts in adult samples.
  • Source: Pew Research Center social media demographics.

Most-used platforms (U.S. adult benchmarks used as local proxies)

Public, county-level platform shares are generally unavailable; the most reliable percentages come from national survey data and are commonly used as proxies for local planning:

Rural/platform emphasis relevant to Stark County: Rural adults tend to over-index on Facebook relative to some newer platforms, and they under-index on TikTok/Snapchat compared with urban populations. Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns / preferences)

  • Facebook as a local-information utility: In rural communities, Facebook commonly functions as a community bulletin board (local news sharing, events, buy/sell groups), aligning with its broad reach among older adults and long-tenured users. Demographic support: Pew demographic distributions by platform.
  • Video-first consumption is dominant: YouTube’s very high penetration indicates that video is a primary mode of social content consumption, including how-to, entertainment, and news-adjacent viewing, often without the same “posting” frequency seen on other apps. Source: Pew platform penetration.
  • Age-driven engagement intensity: Younger adults show higher daily-use intensity and broader multi-platform usage (Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat in addition to YouTube), while older adults are more likely to concentrate activity on fewer platforms, primarily Facebook and YouTube. Source: Pew platform-by-age usage.
  • News and local civic content: Social platforms are a common pathway to news and community information; usage and trust vary by platform and demographic group, with Facebook and YouTube frequently cited as places where adults encounter news content. Source: Pew Research Center social media and news fact sheet.

Family & Associates Records

Stark County, Illinois family-related public records are primarily maintained through county offices and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Birth and death records are Illinois vital records; certified copies are generally issued by the county clerk where the event occurred and/or IDPH. Marriage and divorce records are maintained through the county clerk (marriage licenses/records) and the circuit clerk for court filings. Adoption records are handled through the courts and state systems and are generally not open to public inspection.

Public-facing databases are limited. Property ownership and related family/associate ties may be researched through recorded documents and tax parcel information available from county offices; court case indexes may be available through the circuit clerk’s public access systems where provided.

Access methods include in-person requests at the Stark County Clerk & Recorder for marriage and recording services and at the Stark County Circuit Clerk for court records: Stark County, Illinois (official county website). State-level vital records information and application procedures are published by Illinois Department of Public Health – Vital Records.

Privacy restrictions commonly apply: birth records are restricted for extended periods; death records may be limited to eligible requesters for a set time; adoption files are confidential; juvenile and certain family court matters may be sealed or redacted under Illinois law.

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage licenses and marriage records

    • Issued at the county level and used to document authorization to marry and the subsequent return/certification of the marriage.
    • Common related outputs include a marriage license, marriage certificate (often a certified copy of the marriage record), and the marriage application (supporting document retained by the issuing office).

  • Divorce records

    • Maintained as court case records in the circuit court.
    • Key documents typically include the Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage (divorce decree), related orders, and associated filings (petitions/complaints, appearances, parenting allocations, support orders).

  • Annulment records

    • In Illinois, an annulment is generally recorded as a court matter (commonly framed under legal invalidity of marriage). Records are maintained in the circuit court similarly to divorce case files, with final orders/judgments documenting the outcome.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Marriage records (Stark County Clerk)

    • Marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the Stark County Clerk (the county’s vital records custodian for marriages).
    • Access is commonly provided through:
      • Certified copies requested from the County Clerk’s office (in-person, by mail, and/or other methods established by the office).
      • Some non-certified informational verification may be available depending on local practice and statutory limits.

  • Divorce and annulment records (Stark County Circuit Court Clerk / 10th Judicial Circuit)

    • Divorce and annulment case files are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Stark County and are part of the 10th Judicial Circuit court records.
    • Access is commonly provided through:
      • Court record requests to the Circuit Clerk (copies of the judgment and other filings).
      • On-site public access terminals or file review procedures, subject to court rules and any sealing/redaction requirements.
      • Statewide electronic case index systems may provide limited docket-level information for some cases; availability varies by case type, date, and court policies.

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage license / marriage record

    • Full names of both parties (including prior names where recorded)
    • Date and place of marriage (ceremony location)
    • Date the license was issued and date the marriage was solemnized
    • Officiant/solemnizing official information and certification/return
    • Ages or dates of birth (as recorded on the application/record)
    • Residences/addresses at the time of application (as recorded)
    • Witness information may appear depending on the form used

  • Divorce decree (Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage)

    • Names of the parties and the case number
    • Date of entry of judgment and the type of disposition (dissolution)
    • Findings and orders regarding:
      • Allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time (when applicable)
      • Child support, spousal maintenance, and related financial provisions (when applicable)
      • Property division and debt allocation
      • Restoration of a former name (when requested and granted)

  • Annulment (legal invalidity) final order/judgment

    • Names of the parties and case number
    • Date of judgment/order and court findings regarding invalidity
    • Orders addressing status of the marriage, and related issues such as financial provisions or matters involving children, where applicable

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Marriage records

    • Illinois treats marriage records as vital records maintained by the county. Access to certified copies is typically controlled by identification and eligibility requirements set by statute and local office policy.
    • Some data elements collected on applications (such as addresses or other personal identifiers) may be restricted from broad public dissemination depending on record format and applicable law.

  • Divorce and annulment court records

    • Illinois court records are generally public, but access is limited by:
      • Sealed cases or sealed documents by court order
      • Confidential information rules (including redaction requirements for sensitive identifiers)
      • Protected proceedings and records involving minors and certain family-law filings, which may restrict public inspection of specific documents even when a docket entry exists
    • Copies provided by the Circuit Clerk typically exclude or redact confidential information as required by court rules and state law.

Reference links (official sources)

Education, Employment and Housing

Stark County is a rural county in west‑central Illinois on the eastern edge of the Peoria metropolitan area regionally, with small towns (notably Toulon, the county seat) and a predominantly low‑density settlement pattern. Population levels are small by state standards (roughly in the 5,000–6,000 range in recent estimates), and community context is shaped by agriculture, local services, and out‑commuting to larger labor markets in nearby counties.

Education Indicators

Public school districts, schools, and names (availability varies by source)

  • Stark County’s public K‑12 education is primarily provided through local unit districts centered on Toulon and Wyoming.
  • A definitive, current school‑by‑school list is most reliably sourced through the Illinois State Board of Education’s school/district lookup and report card tools, which maintain official names and active status:
  • Commonly referenced local schools in the county include Stark County High School (Toulon) and the associated elementary/middle grades in Toulon; Wyoming schools typically serve the eastern part of the county. (School configurations can change; ISBE sources above are treated as the authoritative roster.)

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Graduation rate (high school): Reported at the district/school level on the Illinois Report Card (most recent available year typically posted with a 4‑year cohort graduation rate). Stark County’s graduation outcomes are generally reported for Stark County CUSD 100 and any other serving districts; exact current percentages vary by year and should be taken directly from the Illinois Report Card entries for each high school.
  • Student–teacher ratio: Also reported by district/school on the Illinois Report Card (commonly as staffing and class-size related measures rather than a single ratio across all grades). Countywide aggregation is not consistently published as a single official statistic; district figures are the standard proxy.

Adult educational attainment (countywide)

  • Countywide adult attainment is published through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). The most commonly cited benchmark is ACS 5‑year estimates for small counties.
  • Key measures:
    • High school diploma or higher (age 25+): Available in ACS (table series DP02/S1501).
    • Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+): Available in ACS (same table series).
  • Official county profiles and download access:

Notable programs (STEM, vocational, AP)

  • Program offerings are typically district‑specific in rural Illinois and are reported through:
    • Illinois Report Card “Academic Progress,” “College and Career Readiness,” and coursework/program participation sections (including Career and Technical Education (CTE) indicators where reported).
    • District websites (for current course catalogs and pathways).
  • In comparable rural Illinois districts, notable offerings commonly include:
    • CTE/vocational coursework (agriculture, industrial technology, business, family and consumer sciences), often coordinated with regional career centers when applicable.
    • Dual credit arrangements with community colleges are common statewide; participation is reflected in Illinois Report Card college/career readiness measures when reported.
    • Advanced Placement (AP) availability varies; Illinois Report Card is the standard proxy for AP participation/exam counts when available.

School safety measures and counseling resources

  • Illinois public schools operate under state requirements for safety planning (e.g., emergency operations plans, drills) and student support frameworks. District‑specific implementation (e.g., secure entry, visitor management, SRO agreements, threat assessment procedures) is typically documented in board policies and annual safety/drill reports rather than summarized at the county level.
  • Counseling and student support staffing (e.g., social workers, psychologists, counselors) is reported in staffing sections of the Illinois Report Card, which functions as the most consistent public source for comparable staffing indicators across districts.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

  • Official local unemployment rates are produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program and published via the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
  • The most recent annual and monthly rates for Stark County are available through:
  • In rural west‑central Illinois counties, unemployment typically tracks seasonal and regional patterns; Stark County’s latest published annual average rate is best taken directly from LAUS/IDES tables for the current year.

Major industries and employment sectors

  • County industry composition is most consistently available via ACS “Industry by occupation” profiles and County Business Patterns; for small counties, ACS is often used as the primary proxy.
  • Stark County’s employment base is generally characterized by:
    • Agriculture and related support activities (directly and through supply chains)
    • Manufacturing and construction (often smaller establishments, sometimes tied to regional manufacturing centers)
    • Educational services, health care and social assistance, retail trade, and public administration as core local service sectors
  • Source for sector shares:

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

  • Occupational structure for small rural counties commonly shows higher shares in:
    • Production, transportation, and material moving
    • Construction and extraction
    • Office and administrative support
    • Sales and related
    • Management and education/health practitioner/support roles (often concentrated in schools and health providers)
  • County-specific occupational percentages are available via ACS (S2401/S2406 series) on:

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

  • Commuting metrics (mean travel time to work, mode of transportation, and work location) are provided by ACS.
  • Rural counties in this region commonly exhibit:
    • High reliance on driving alone as the dominant mode
    • Limited public transit availability
    • Meaningful shares of residents commuting to job centers in nearby counties (including the Peoria area)
  • Official commuting tables and mean commute time:

Local employment versus out‑of‑county work

  • The ACS “Place of Work” and “County-to-county commuting flows” style tables provide the best publicly accessible proxy for the split between working inside Stark County versus commuting out.
  • For small counties adjacent to larger employment centers, out‑commuting is typically significant; Stark County’s current in‑county/out‑of‑county split is best taken from ACS place‑of‑work tables and LODES-style flow products where used by researchers (ACS remains the most widely cited general source):

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

  • Owner‑occupied versus renter‑occupied shares are reported in ACS housing profiles (DP04).
  • Rural Illinois counties typically show high homeownership rates relative to state averages, with a smaller rental market concentrated in the county seat and a few towns.
  • Official source:

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median value of owner‑occupied housing units is reported by ACS; this is the standard countywide statistic for small counties.
  • Recent years across Illinois have generally seen rising median values compared with pre‑2020 baselines, though growth in rural counties often trails major metro areas. Stark County’s precise median value and trend line should be taken from the latest ACS 5‑year estimate and compared to prior releases for change over time.
  • Source:

Typical rent prices

  • Median gross rent is also reported by ACS (DP04). In small rural counties, the rental stock is often limited, which can increase year‑to‑year volatility in ACS estimates.
  • Source:

Types of housing

  • The county’s housing stock is predominantly:
    • Single‑family detached homes in towns and rural residential areas
    • Farmhouses and rural lots/acreage properties outside incorporated areas
    • A smaller number of multi‑unit buildings and apartments, typically concentrated in Toulon and other small communities
  • ACS “Units in structure” tables provide the official breakdown of single‑family versus multi‑unit housing.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools or amenities)

  • Amenities are concentrated in incorporated communities (schools, local government services, parks, and small retail nodes), with more limited services in unincorporated areas.
  • Typical neighborhood patterns:
    • Homes in Toulon tend to be closest to county government services and the main school campus sites.
    • Outlying housing emphasizes larger lots, agricultural surroundings, and longer drives to retail/health services in regional centers.

Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)

  • Illinois property taxes are administered locally and vary substantially by taxing district (school districts are a major component).
  • Countywide summaries and effective tax rate proxies are available from:
  • A single “average rate” is not uniform across the county due to overlapping taxing districts; the most defensible proxy for typical homeowner cost is annual property taxes paid (ACS) and/or effective tax rate estimates from state/local compilations. For Stark County, these should be taken directly from the latest published IDOR/ACS figures rather than generalized statewide averages.

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Other Counties in Illinois