Ford County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Ford County, Illinois had an estimated 13,451 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,522, across 486 square miles. County output reached $1.12 bn in 2024, 343 establishments operate here.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ford County
How many people live in Ford County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202413,406
- Households5,828
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$62,439
- Median age41.9
- Median gross rent$923 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$122,000
- Home value to household income2.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,276
- Population under 183,130
- Share under 1823.3 percent
- Population 65 and over2,628
- Share 65 and over19.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,648
- Civilian labor force6,644
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.7 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties78th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2260th of 3,222
Ford County is the 78th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.3 percent against 19.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ford County
Is Ford County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202413,451
- Census 2020 base population13,522
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.53 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024135
- Births, 2024136
- Deaths, 2024164
- Natural change, 2024-28
- Net domestic migration, 202476
- Net international migration, 202488
- Total net migration, 2024164
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-28
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2030th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.53 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ford County
Where are people moving to Ford County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving321
- People arriving, from those returns586
- Tax returns filed by households leaving373
- Net household movement-52
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-10.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$46,530
- Average income of a leaving household$68,212
- Largest single originChampaign County (103 households)
- Largest single destinationChampaign County (109 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign County | 103 | 177 | $4.4 m |
| Iroquois County | 45 | 87 | $2.3 m |
| McLean County | 25 | 45 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $21,682 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Champaign County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Ford County
What is the Ford County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.12 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.05 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.4 percent
- GDP change over five years53.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes59th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1750th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$83,434
Output grew 6.4 percent in the latest year and 53.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Ford County
Employment by industry in Ford County
- Covered employment, annual average5,727
- Establishments reporting367
- Average annual pay$55,831
- Average weekly wage$1,074
- Manufacturing, employment940
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$53,701
- Wholesale trade, employment746
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$80,290
- Retail trade, employment375
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,115
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment284
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$37,455
- Construction, employment196
- Finance and insurance, employment148
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 940 | 26 | $53,701 |
| Wholesale trade | 746 | 27 | $80,290 |
| Retail trade | 375 | 40 | $30,115 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 284 | 12 | $37,455 |
| Construction | 196 | 34 | $76,294 |
| Finance and insurance | 148 | 18 | $47,227 |
| Other services, except public administration | 106 | 30 | $36,418 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 98 | 12 | $35,995 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 940 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ford County
How many businesses are in Ford County?
- Establishments, all industries343
- Employment at those establishments4,269
- Annual payroll$212.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ford County
Building permits in Ford County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202412
- Declared construction value permitted$2.7 m
- Single family units authorized12
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$225,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.1
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ford County
How large is Ford County?
- Land area486 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties56th of 102
- Width, east to west27.7 mi
- Height, north to south41.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land28
- Establishments per square mile0.71
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Ford County
Flood risk in Ford County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Ford County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 170991
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Ford County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Ford County (community 170991), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Ford County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 75.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Ford County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Ford County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202413,406
- Households5,828
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$62,439
- Median age41.9
Common questions
Ford County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ford County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 13,451 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 13,406, in 5,828 households, ranking 78th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ford County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.53 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,522, to 13,451 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 136 births against 164 deaths, with net migration of 164. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ford County?
$62,439. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $122,000, which is 2.0 times income, and median gross rent is $923 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ford County?
343 establishments, employing 4,269 people with an annual payroll of $212.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Ford County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 940 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,727 jobs at an average annual pay of $55,831, or $1,074 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How many building permits were issued in Ford County?
12 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ford County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Ford County come from?
The largest single origin is Champaign County, with 103 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,530 against $68,212 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ford County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Ford County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Ford County
Cities and places in Ford.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ford County. All 9 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paxton | city | 4,131 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gibson City | city | 3,434 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Piper City | village | 703 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Roberts | village | 487 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Melvin | village | 430 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sibley | village | 286 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elliott | village | 258 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kempton | village | 258 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cabery | village | 235 | None recorded | 55.6 percent here, 44.4 percent Kankakee County |