Macon County, Illinois

Last updated

Macon County
County
Wabash Railroad Station and Railway Express Agency.JPG
Wabash Railroad Station and Railway Express Agency in Decatur
Seal of Macon County, Illinois.png
Seal
Map of Illinois highlighting Macon County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois in United States.svg
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°52′N88°58′W / 39.86°N 88.96°W / 39.86; -88.96
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Illinois.svg Illinois
FoundedJanuary 19, 1829
Named after Nathaniel Macon
Seat Decatur
Largest cityDecatur
Government
 • County Board ChairpersonKevin Greenfield
Area
 • Total
586 sq mi (1,520 km2)
 • Land581 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Water5.2 sq mi (13 km2)  0.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
103,998
 • Estimate 
(2024)
100,737 Decrease2.svg [1]
 • Density180/sq mi (69/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts 13th, 15th
Website maconcounty.illinois.gov

Macon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 103,998. [2] Its county seat and most populous city is Decatur. [3]

Contents

Macon County comprises the Decatur, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Macon County was formed on January 19, 1829, out of Shelby County. It was named for Nathaniel Macon, a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. [4] Macon later served as senator from North Carolina until his resignation in 1828. In 1830, future US President Abraham Lincoln and his family moved to Macon County.

Geography

Plaque honoring 2,486 Macon County soldiers that fought in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-65 Plaque honoring the soldiers of Macon County Illinois who fought in the Civil War.jpg
Plaque honoring 2,486 Macon County soldiers that fought in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-65

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 586 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 581 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km2) (0.9%) is water. [5]

Macon County is primarily flat, as is most of the state and all of the surrounding counties, the result of geological activity during the Pleistocene epoch. During the Illinoian Stage of the Pleistocene, the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered about 85 percent of Illinois, including the Macon County area. The subsequent thaw of the region and retreat of the ice sheet left central Illinois with its present characteristic flat topography. [6]

Because of its central location, Macon County is often referred to as "The Heart of Illinois." [7]

Climate and weather

Decatur, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
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Source: The Weather Channel [8]
Metric conversion
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In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Decatur have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.95 inches (50 mm) in February to 4.54 inches (115 mm) in July. [8]

Major highways

Transit

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1830 1,122—
1840 3,039170.9%
1850 3,98831.2%
1860 13,738244.5%
1870 26,48192.8%
1880 30,66515.8%
1890 38,08324.2%
1900 44,00315.5%
1910 54,18623.1%
1920 65,17520.3%
1930 81,73125.4%
1940 84,6933.6%
1950 98,85316.7%
1960 118,25719.6%
1970 125,0105.7%
1980 131,3755.1%
1990 117,206−10.8%
2000 114,706−2.1%
2010 110,768−3.4%
2020 103,998−6.1%
2023 (est.)100,591 [9] −3.3%
US Decennial Census [10]
1790–1960 [11] 1900–1990 [12]
1990–2000 [13] 2010 [14]

2020 census

Macon County, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 [15] Pop 1990 [16] Pop 2000 [17] Pop 2010 [18] Pop 2020 [19] % 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)116,269101,83895,12886,82275,11788.50%86.89%82.93%78.38%72.23%
Black or African American alone (NH)13,63114,09516,03617,91618,88610.38%12.03%13.98%16.17%18.16%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1801501801991780.14%0.13%0.16%0.18%0.17%
Asian alone (NH)3635026491,1071,5120.28%0.43%0.57%1.00%1.45%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [20] x [21] 192631xx0.02%0.02%0.03%
Other race alone (NH)187811171454150.14%0.07%0.10%0.13%0.40%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [22] x [23] 1,4572,4815,126xx1.27%2.24%4.93%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)7455401,1202,0722,7330.57%0.46%0.98%1.87%2.63%
Total131,375117,206114,706110,768103,998 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 110,768 people, 45,855 households, and 29,326 families residing in the county. [24] The population density was 190.8 inhabitants per square mile (73.7/km2). There were 50,475 housing units at an average density of 86.9 per square mile (33.6/km2). [5] The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 16.3% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. [24] In terms of ancestry, 21.7% were German, 17.0% were American, 12.9% were Irish, and 10.8% were English. [25]

Of the 45,855 households, 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.0% were non-families, and 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 40.3 years. [24]

The median income for a household in the county was $44,337 and the median income for a family was $57,570. Males had a median income of $48,570 versus $31,568 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,726. About 10.3% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over. [26]

Communities

Cities

Villages

Map of Macon County Map of Macon County Illinois.png
Map of Macon County

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Ghost Town

Townships

Politics

In its early years Macon County favored the Democratic Party, voting for it in every election through 1860. Republican Abraham Lincoln won the county in the 1864 election, and from then until the Great Depression Macon County became solidly Republican, only giving a narrow plurality to Woodrow Wilson in 1912 when the GOP was divided by Theodore Roosevelt's splinter–party run.

The FDR-era New Deal saw the county become more amenable to the Democratic Party again due to its strong industrial base. Macon County voted for the winner in every election from 1920 through 1996 save in 1960, 1968, and 1988, in two of which it voted for a losing Democrat over a winning Republican (Humphrey over Nixon in 1968 and Dukakis over George H. W. Bush in 1988). In 2000, Macon voted for a losing Democrat for the third time since the New Deal, as Al Gore narrowly held the county, but since then the county has once again trended Republican, as George W. Bush carried the county over John Kerry in 2004 with the same vote share as Reagan in his 1984 national landslide. Illinois native Barack Obama did carry the county with a plurality in his sweeping 2008 triumph, but was convincingly defeated by Mitt Romney in the county in 2012. In 2016, Hillary Clinton got the lowest vote share of any Democrat since George McGovern; and while Joe Biden improved on her vote share in 2020, he still failed to match McGovern's percentage.

United States presidential election results for Macon County, Illinois [27]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1892 4,57548.04%4,30345.18%6466.78%
1896 6,21655.73%4,75642.64%1821.63%
1900 6,08654.26%4,87443.46%2562.28%
1904 6,28462.79%2,95229.50%7727.71%
1908 6,64355.98%4,61538.89%6085.12%
1912 3,35627.33%4,43536.12%4,48736.55%
1916 13,99752.90%11,18142.25%1,2834.85%
1920 16,48665.27%7,91731.35%8543.38%
1924 16,45860.22%6,67024.40%4,20315.38%
1928 24,49270.68%9,93228.66%2300.66%
1932 16,86842.87%21,63854.99%8402.13%
1936 15,58535.84%27,36062.92%5411.24%
1940 19,99841.78%27,58957.64%2770.58%
1944 19,60846.06%22,80853.58%1530.36%
1948 18,71946.27%21,48753.11%2500.62%
1952 25,74453.56%22,27746.35%450.09%
1956 27,67354.51%23,06645.43%320.06%
1960 27,15150.95%26,02948.85%1080.20%
1964 17,95733.88%35,04566.12%00.00%
1968 21,02742.27%23,36946.98%5,34510.75%
1972 29,59659.16%20,29640.57%1370.27%
1976 24,89346.44%28,24352.69%4630.86%
1980 28,29852.45%22,32541.38%3,3336.18%
1984 30,45754.28%25,46345.38%1920.34%
1988 23,86248.22%25,36451.25%2630.53%
1992 18,68433.62%27,44949.39%9,44717.00%
1996 18,16138.45%24,25651.35%4,81810.20%
2000 23,83048.14%24,26249.02%1,4072.84%
2004 28,11854.34%23,34145.11%2870.55%
2008 24,94848.55%25,48749.60%9541.86%
2012 25,30951.62%22,78046.46%9411.92%
2016 26,86655.90%18,34338.17%2,8515.93%
2020 28,58957.72%19,84740.07%1,0982.22%
2024 26,56258.37%18,00939.57%9382.06%

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020–2024". United States Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce. March 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
    2. ↑ "Macon County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 10, 2023.
    3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
    4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.  195.
    5. 1 2 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
    6. ↑ Stiff, B. J., and A.K. Hansel, 2004, Quaternary glaciations in Illinois. in Ehlers, J., and P.L. Gibbard, eds., pp. 71-82, Quaternary Glaciations: Extent and Chronology 2: Part II North America, Elsevier, Amsterdam. ISBN   0-444-51462-7
    7. ↑ "Visitors Information - Macon County Illinois". www.co.macon.il.us. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
    8. 1 2 "Monthly Averages for Decatur IL". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
    9. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
    10. ↑ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
    11. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
    12. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
    13. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
    14. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
    15. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois- Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 16 (p. 18-28) - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 29-39)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau .
    16. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Orogin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau .
    17. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Macon County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau .
    18. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Macon County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau .
    19. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Macon County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau .
    20. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
    21. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
    22. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
    23. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
    24. 1 2 3 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
    25. ↑ "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
    26. ↑ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
    27. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
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