Ford County Demographics

A map of Ford County's Population by Race

Ford County, Illinois has an estimated population of 13,406, a less than 1% change from the 13,534 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 89.4% White, 5.3% Hispanic, 4.0% Multiracial, 0.6% Native American/Other, 0.4% Asian, and 0.3% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Ford County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Ford 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 Ford County, that probability was 17.5% in 2020 and 19.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Ford County is ranked the 78th most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. Ford County was ranked the 78th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Ford County's White Population

11,982 residents of Ford County, or 89.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Ford County is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Ford County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ford County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.3%. White residents' share of Ford County's population has decreased from 90.6% to 89.4%.

Ford County is more White than neighboring Iroquois County (87.2% White), Livingston County (87.7% White), Champaign County (62.4% White), McLean County (76.2% White), and Vermilion County (76.7% White).

Ford County's Black Population

44 residents of Ford County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Ford County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Ford County ranks 74th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ford County's Black population has declined by an estimated 41.3%. Black residents' share of Ford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Ford County is less Black than neighboring Iroquois County (0.8% Black), Livingston County (3.4% Black), Champaign County (13.4% Black), McLean County (8.4% Black), and Vermilion County (14.7% Black).

Ford County's Asian Population

55 residents of Ford County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Ford County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Ford County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ford County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 3.5%. Asian residents' share of Ford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Ford County is more Asian than neighboring Iroquois County (0.3% Asian). Ford County is less Asian than neighboring Livingston County (0.6% Asian), Champaign County (11.4% Asian), McLean County (5.2% Asian), and Vermilion County (0.9% Asian).

Ford County's Hispanic Population

707 residents of Ford County, or 5.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Ford County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Ford County ranks 38th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ford County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 27.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Ford County's population has increased from 4.1% to 5.3%.

Ford County is less Hispanic than neighboring Iroquois County (8.3% Hispanic), Livingston County (5.8% Hispanic), Champaign County (8.3% Hispanic), McLean County (6.4% Hispanic), and Vermilion County (5.6% Hispanic).

Ford County's Native American/Other Population

77 residents of Ford County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Ford County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Ford County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ford County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 16.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Ford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Ford County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Iroquois County (0.5% Native American/Other), Livingston County (0.2% Native American/Other), Champaign County (0.4% Native American/Other), McLean County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Vermilion County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Ford County's Multiracial Population

541 residents of Ford County, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Ford County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Ford County ranks 30th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ford County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 4.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Ford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.0%.

Ford County is more Multiracial than neighboring Iroquois County (2.9% Multiracial), Livingston County (2.4% Multiracial), McLean County (3.3% Multiracial), and Vermilion County (1.9% Multiracial). Ford County is less Multiracial than neighboring Champaign County (4.1% 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.