McDonough County Demographics

A map of McDonough County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	22,930	23,062	85.2%	84.7%
Black	1,520	1,498	5.6%	5.5%
Hispanic	944	962	3.5%	3.5%
Multiracial	831	1,030	3.1%	3.8%
Asian	561	560	2.1%	2.1%
Native American/Other	134	126	0.5%	0.5%

McDonough County, Illinois has an estimated population of 26,920, a slight decrease from the 27,238 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 85.2% White, 5.6% Black, 3.5% Hispanic, 3.1% Multiracial, 2.1% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of McDonough County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

McDonough has become slightly less 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 McDonough County, that probability was 27.7% in 2020 and 26.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

McDonough County is ranked the 50th most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. McDonough County was ranked the 50th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

McDonough County's White Population

22,930 residents of McDonough County, or 85.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in McDonough County is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. McDonough County ranks 65th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McDonough County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of McDonough County's population has increased from 84.7% to 85.2%.

McDonough County is more White than neighboring Warren County (81.1% White). McDonough County is less White than neighboring Schuyler County (90.2% White), Henderson County (93.7% White), Fulton County (91.7% White), and Hancock County (94% White).

McDonough County's Black Population

1,520 residents of McDonough County, or 5.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in McDonough County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. McDonough County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McDonough County's Black population has grown by an estimated 1.5%. Black residents' share of McDonough County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.6%.

McDonough County is more Black than neighboring Schuyler County (3.7% Black), Warren County (2.7% Black), Henderson County (0.3% Black), Fulton County (2.8% Black), and Hancock County (0.7% Black).

McDonough County's Asian Population

561 residents of McDonough County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in McDonough County is slightly lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. McDonough County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McDonough County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of McDonough County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.1%.

McDonough County is more Asian than neighboring Schuyler County (0.6% Asian), Henderson County (0.2% Asian), Fulton County (0.3% Asian), and Hancock County (0.4% Asian). McDonough County is less Asian than neighboring Warren County (2.4% Asian).

McDonough County's Hispanic Population

944 residents of McDonough County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in McDonough County is significantly lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. McDonough County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McDonough County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 1.9%. Hispanic residents' share of McDonough County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

McDonough County is more Hispanic than neighboring Schuyler County (2.7% Hispanic), Henderson County (1.2% Hispanic), Fulton County (2.5% Hispanic), and Hancock County (2.3% Hispanic). McDonough County is less Hispanic than neighboring Warren County (11.1% Hispanic).

McDonough County's Native American/Other Population

134 residents of McDonough County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in McDonough County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. McDonough County ranks 39th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McDonough County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 6.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of McDonough County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

McDonough County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Schuyler County (0% Native American/Other), and Hancock County (0.2% Native American/Other). McDonough County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Warren County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Henderson County (1.2% Native American/Other).

McDonough County's Multiracial Population

831 residents of McDonough County, or 3.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in McDonough County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. McDonough County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McDonough County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 19.3%. Multiracial residents' share of McDonough County's population has decreased from 3.8% to 3.1%.

McDonough County is more Multiracial than neighboring Schuyler County (2.7% Multiracial), Warren County (2.1% Multiracial), Fulton County (2.1% Multiracial), and Hancock County (2.3% Multiracial). McDonough County is less Multiracial than neighboring Henderson County (3.5% 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.