Peoria County Demographics

A map of Peoria County's Population by Race

Peoria County, Illinois has an estimated population of 179,645, a slight decrease from the 181,830 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 66.1% White, 17.2% Black, 6.0% Hispanic, 5.5% Multiracial, 4.6% Asian, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Peoria County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Peoria has become slightly 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 Peoria County, that probability was 51.8% in 2020 and 52.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Peoria County is ranked the 12th most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. Peoria County was ranked the 12th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Peoria County's White Population

118,760 residents of Peoria County, or 66.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Peoria County is higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Peoria County ranks 91st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Peoria County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.5%. White residents' share of Peoria County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 66.1%.

Peoria County is less White than neighboring Stark County (90.7% White), Tazewell County (91.9% White), Knox County (79.9% White), Marshall County (92.1% White), and Fulton County (91.7% White).

Peoria County's Black Population

30,988 residents of Peoria County, or 17.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Peoria County is slightly higher than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Peoria County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Peoria County's Black population has declined by an estimated 7.9%. Black residents' share of Peoria County's population has decreased from 18.5% to 17.2%.

Peoria County is more Black than neighboring Stark County (1.2% Black), Tazewell County (1.6% Black), Knox County (8% Black), Marshall County (0.4% Black), and Fulton County (2.8% Black).

Peoria County's Asian Population

8,252 residents of Peoria County, or 4.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Peoria County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Peoria County ranks 7th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Peoria County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 6.8%. Asian residents' share of Peoria County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.6%.

Peoria County is more Asian than neighboring Stark County (0.8% Asian), Tazewell County (1% Asian), Knox County (1.3% Asian), Marshall County (0.1% Asian), and Fulton County (0.3% Asian).

Peoria County's Hispanic Population

10,799 residents of Peoria County, or 6.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Peoria County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Peoria County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Peoria County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 7.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Peoria County's population has increased from 5.5% to 6.0%.

Peoria County is more Hispanic than neighboring Stark County (2.9% Hispanic), Tazewell County (2.7% Hispanic), Marshall County (3.5% Hispanic), and Fulton County (2.5% Hispanic). Peoria County is less Hispanic than neighboring Knox County (6.4% Hispanic).

Peoria County's Native American/Other Population

1,004 residents of Peoria 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 Peoria County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Peoria County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Peoria County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 15.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Peoria County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Peoria County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Stark County (0.1% Native American/Other), Tazewell County (0.3% Native American/Other), Knox County (0.4% Native American/Other), Marshall County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Fulton County (0.5% Native American/Other).

Peoria County's Multiracial Population

9,842 residents of Peoria County, or 5.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Peoria County is slightly higher than in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Peoria County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Peoria County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 15.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Peoria County's population has increased from 4.7% to 5.5%.

Peoria County is more Multiracial than neighboring Stark County (4.2% Multiracial), Tazewell County (2.5% Multiracial), Knox County (4% Multiracial), Marshall County (3.7% Multiracial), and Fulton 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.