Putnam County Demographics

A map of Putnam County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	4,960	5,073	88.6%	90.0%
Hispanic	368	348	6.6%	6.2%
Multiracial	180	153	3.2%	2.7%
Asian	42	18	0.7%	0.3%
Native American/Other	32	19	0.6%	0.3%
Black	19	26	0.3%	0.5%

Putnam County, Illinois has an estimated population of 5,601, a less than 1% change from the 5,637 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.6% White, 6.6% Hispanic, 3.2% Multiracial, 0.7% Asian, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.3% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Putnam County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Putnam 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 Putnam County, that probability was 18.6% in 2020 and 21.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Putnam County is ranked the 94th most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. Putnam County was ranked the 94th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Putnam County's White Population

4,960 residents of Putnam County, or 88.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Putnam County is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Putnam County ranks 45th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.2%. White residents' share of Putnam County's population has decreased from 90.0% to 88.6%.

Putnam County is more White than neighboring Bureau County (84.6% White), and LaSalle County (82.1% White). Putnam County is less White than neighboring Marshall County (92.1% White), Woodford County (93.5% White), and Stark County (90.7% White).

Putnam County's Black Population

19 residents of Putnam County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Putnam County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Putnam County ranks 81st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Black population has declined by an estimated 26.9%. Black residents' share of Putnam County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Putnam County is less Black than neighboring Marshall County (0.4% Black), Bureau County (0.6% Black), Woodford County (0.6% Black), LaSalle County (2.5% Black), and Stark County (1.2% Black).

Putnam County's Asian Population

42 residents of Putnam County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Putnam County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Putnam County ranks 79th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 133.3%. Asian residents' share of Putnam County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Putnam County is more Asian than neighboring Marshall County (0.1% Asian), and Woodford County (0.6% Asian). Putnam County is less Asian than neighboring Bureau County (0.9% Asian), LaSalle County (0.8% Asian), and Stark County (0.8% Asian).

Putnam County's Hispanic Population

368 residents of Putnam County, or 6.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Putnam County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Putnam County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Putnam County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.6%.

Putnam County is more Hispanic than neighboring Marshall County (3.5% Hispanic), Woodford County (2.1% Hispanic), and Stark County (2.9% Hispanic). Putnam County is less Hispanic than neighboring Bureau County (10.2% Hispanic), and LaSalle County (11.2% Hispanic).

Putnam County's Native American/Other Population

32 residents of Putnam 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 Putnam County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Putnam County ranks 79th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 68.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Putnam County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Putnam County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Marshall County (0.2% Native American/Other), Bureau County (0.3% Native American/Other), Woodford County (0.3% Native American/Other), LaSalle County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Stark County (0.1% Native American/Other).

Putnam County's Multiracial Population

180 residents of Putnam County, or 3.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Putnam County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Putnam County ranks 85th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Putnam County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 17.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Putnam County's population has increased from 2.7% to 3.2%.

Putnam County is more Multiracial than neighboring Woodford County (3% Multiracial), and LaSalle County (3.1% Multiracial). Putnam County is less Multiracial than neighboring Marshall County (3.7% Multiracial), Bureau County (3.4% Multiracial), and Stark County (4.2% 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.