Whiteside County Demographics

A map of Whiteside County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	44,454	45,341	80.9%	81.4%
Hispanic	7,319	7,131	13.3%	12.8%
Multiracial	1,969	1,954	3.6%	3.5%
Black	668	741	1.2%	1.3%
Asian	275	306	0.5%	0.5%
Native American/Other	262	218	0.5%	0.4%

Whiteside County, Illinois has an estimated population of 54,947, a slight decrease from the 55,691 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 80.9% White, 13.3% Hispanic, 3.6% Multiracial, 1.2% Black, 0.5% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Whiteside County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Whiteside 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 Whiteside County, that probability was 31.9% in 2020 and 32.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Whiteside County is ranked the 24th most populous county in Illinois, out of 102 counties. Whiteside County was ranked the 24th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Whiteside County's White Population

44,454 residents of Whiteside County, or 80.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Whiteside County is significantly higher than in Illinois overall, where 58.1% of the population is White. Whiteside County ranks 74th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whiteside County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. White residents' share of Whiteside County's population has decreased from 81.4% to 80.9%.

Whiteside County is less White than neighboring Carroll County (87.8% White), Henry County (87% White), Bureau County (84.6% White), Lee County (83.4% White), and Clinton County (89% White).

Whiteside County's Black Population

668 residents of Whiteside County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Whiteside County is considerably lower than in Illinois overall, where 13.3% of the population is Black. Whiteside County ranks 55th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whiteside County's Black population has declined by an estimated 9.9%. Black residents' share of Whiteside County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Whiteside County is more Black than neighboring Henry County (1% Black), and Bureau County (0.6% Black). Whiteside County is less Black than neighboring Carroll County (3.9% Black), Lee County (5.3% Black), and Clinton County (3.1% Black).

Whiteside County's Asian Population

275 residents of Whiteside County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Whiteside County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 5.9% of the population is Asian. Whiteside County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whiteside County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 10.1%. Asian residents' share of Whiteside County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Whiteside County is less Asian than neighboring Carroll County (0.8% Asian), Bureau County (0.9% Asian), Lee County (0.7% Asian), and Clinton County (0.7% Asian).

Whiteside County's Hispanic Population

7,319 residents of Whiteside County, or 13.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Whiteside County is lower than in Illinois overall, where 18.8% of the population is Hispanic. Whiteside County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whiteside County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 2.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Whiteside County's population has increased from 12.8% to 13.3%.

Whiteside County is more Hispanic than neighboring Carroll County (5.3% Hispanic), Henry County (6.9% Hispanic), Bureau County (10.2% Hispanic), Lee County (7.6% Hispanic), and Clinton County (3.6% Hispanic).

Whiteside County's Native American/Other Population

262 residents of Whiteside 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 Whiteside County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 0.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Whiteside County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whiteside County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 20.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Whiteside County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Whiteside County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Bureau County (0.3% Native American/Other), Lee County (0.1% Native American/Other), and Clinton County (0.2% Native American/Other). Whiteside County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Henry County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Whiteside County's Multiracial Population

1,969 residents of Whiteside County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Whiteside County is comparable to the share in Illinois overall, where 3.4% of the population is Multiracial. Whiteside County ranks 43rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 102 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Whiteside County's Multiracial population has remained roughly the same. Multiracial residents' share of Whiteside County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.6%.

Whiteside County is more Multiracial than neighboring Carroll County (1.7% Multiracial), Bureau County (3.4% Multiracial), Lee County (2.9% Multiracial), and Clinton County (3.4% Multiracial). Whiteside County is less Multiracial than neighboring Henry County (4% 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.