Fayette County Demographics

A map of Fayette County's Population by Race

Fayette County, Illinois has an estimated population of 21,315, a less than 1% change from the 21,488 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.3% White, 5.0% Multiracial, 3.2% Black, 3.0% Hispanic, 0.3% Native American/Other, and 0.2% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Fayette County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Fayette has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Illinois overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Fayette County, that probability was 18.0% in 2020 and 21.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Fayette County is ranked the 54th most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. Fayette County was ranked the 55th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Fayette County's White Population

18,815 residents of Fayette County, or 88.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Fayette County is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Fayette County ranks 44th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.1%. White residents' share of Fayette County's population has decreased from 90.4% to 88.3%.

Fayette County is more White than neighboring Bond County (85.9% White). Fayette County is less White than neighboring Marion County (89.1% White), Effingham County (94.2% White), Shelby County (96% White), and Montgomery County (91.7% White).

Fayette County's Black Population

692 residents of Fayette County, or 3.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Fayette County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Fayette County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Black population has declined by an estimated 11.3%. Black residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.2%.

Fayette County is more Black than neighboring Marion County (2.9% Black), Effingham County (0.3% Black), and Shelby County (0.2% Black). Fayette County is less Black than neighboring Bond County (6.1% Black), and Montgomery County (3.3% Black).

Fayette County's Asian Population

33 residents of Fayette County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Fayette County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Fayette County ranks 81st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 50.7%. Asian residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Fayette County is less Asian than neighboring Marion County (0.7% Asian), Bond County (0.6% Asian), Effingham County (0.8% Asian), and Montgomery County (0.4% Asian).

Fayette County's Hispanic Population

650 residents of Fayette County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Fayette County is significantly lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Fayette County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 1.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.

Fayette County is more Hispanic than neighboring Marion County (2.2% Hispanic), Bond County (2% Hispanic), Effingham County (2.8% Hispanic), Shelby County (1.2% Hispanic), and Montgomery County (2.2% Hispanic).

Fayette County's Native American/Other Population

66 residents of Fayette County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Fayette County ranks 27th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 41.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Fayette County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Fayette County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Effingham County (0.2% Native American/Other). Fayette County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Marion County (0.9% Native American/Other), Bond County (1.2% Native American/Other), and Shelby County (0.4% Native American/Other).

Fayette County's Multiracial Population

1,059 residents of Fayette County, or 5.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Fayette County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Fayette County ranks 100th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Fayette County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 136.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Fayette County's population has increased from 2.1% to 5.0%.

Fayette County is more Multiracial than neighboring Marion County (4.2% Multiracial), Bond County (4.2% Multiracial), Effingham County (1.6% Multiracial), Shelby County (2% Multiracial), and Montgomery County (2.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.