Hancock County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Hancock County, Illinois had an estimated 17,008 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,628, across 794 square miles. County output reached $824.4 m in 2024, 365 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $3.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Hancock County
How many people live in Hancock County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,281
- Households7,613
- Average household size2.27
- Median household income$65,865
- Median age46.9
- Median gross rent$782 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$113,800
- Home value to household income1.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,498
- Population under 183,635
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over4,256
- Share 65 and over24.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,390
- Civilian labor force8,247
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.4 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties60th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2022nd of 3,222
Hancock County is the 60th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 1.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.6 percent against 21.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hancock County
Is Hancock County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202417,008
- Census 2020 base population17,628
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.52 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-187
- Births, 2024167
- Deaths, 2024197
- Natural change, 2024-30
- Net domestic migration, 2024-190
- Net international migration, 202433
- Total net migration, 2024-157
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-353
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2825th of 3,144
The county has lost 3.52 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hancock County
Where are people moving to Hancock County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving384
- People arriving, from those returns715
- Tax returns filed by households leaving409
- Net household movement-25
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$943,000
- Average income of an arriving household$50,758
- Average income of a leaving household$45,350
- Largest single originLee County (75 households)
- Largest single destinationLee County (96 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 75 | 140 | $3.3 m |
| Adams County | 49 | 98 | $2.4 m |
| McDonough County | 34 | 56 | $1.7 m |
Households arriving report $5,408 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Lee 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.
Hancock County
What is the Hancock County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$824.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$787.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.8 percent
- GDP change over five years49.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes68th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2008th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$47,707
Output grew 4.8 percent in the latest year and 49.3 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.
Hancock County
Employment by industry in Hancock County
- Covered employment, annual average4,144
- Establishments reporting412
- Average annual pay$45,832
- Average weekly wage$881
- Retail trade, employment470
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,800
- Accommodation and food services, employment326
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$16,550
- Manufacturing, employment262
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$59,176
- Wholesale trade, employment200
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$60,686
- Construction, employment190
- Finance and insurance, employment168
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 470 | 56 | $28,800 |
| Accommodation and food services | 326 | 34 | $16,550 |
| Manufacturing | 262 | 20 | $59,176 |
| Wholesale trade | 200 | 20 | $60,686 |
| Construction | 190 | 30 | $72,062 |
| Finance and insurance | 168 | 20 | $47,482 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 128 | 18 | $83,555 |
| Other services, except public administration | 80 | 34 | $39,392 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 470 jobs, 11.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Hancock County
How many businesses are in Hancock County?
- Establishments, all industries365
- Employment at those establishments2,706
- Annual payroll$123.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Hancock County
Building permits in Hancock County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$641,300
- Single family units authorized2
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,650
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.3
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.
Hancock County
SBA loans in Hancock County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$396,775
- Median 7(a) approval$269,050
- Largest single approval$836,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)188
- Jobs per approval23.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term102 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.1 m
- Average 504 approval$1,372,000
- Median 504 approval$1,235,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved4.1
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$7.3 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hancock County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Hancock County
Do SBA loans in Hancock County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hancock County
SBA lending by place in Hancock County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Hamilton, approvals3
- Mendon, approvals2
- Carthage, approvals2
- Nauvoo, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 3 | $1,722,000 |
| Mendon | 2 | $714,100 |
| Carthage | 2 | $538,100 |
| Nauvoo | 1 | $200,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hancock County
How large is Hancock County?
- Land area794 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties16th of 102
- Width, east to west31.9 mi
- Height, north to south30.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.46
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.
Hancock County
Flood risk in Hancock County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Hancock County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170267
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate88.9 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Hancock 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 Hancock County (community 170267), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Hancock 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. 88.9 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 Hancock 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 Hancock County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,281
- Households7,613
- Average household size2.27
- Median household income$65,865
- Median age46.9
Common questions
Hancock County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hancock County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 17,008 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 17,281, in 7,613 households, ranking 60th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hancock County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.52 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,628, to 17,008 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 167 births against 197 deaths, with net migration of -157. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hancock County?
$65,865. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $113,800, which is 1.7 times income, and median gross rent is $782 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Hancock County?
365 establishments, employing 2,706 people with an annual payroll of $123.9 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 Hancock County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 470 jobs, 11.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,144 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,832, or $881 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hancock County?
8 7(a) approvals totaling $3.2 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $269,050, plus 3 504 approvals worth $4.1 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Hancock County?
2 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $641,300. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hancock 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 Hancock County come from?
The largest single origin is Lee County, with 75 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,758 against $45,350 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Hancock 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 Hancock 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.
Hancock County
Cities and places in Hancock.
16 Census places lie wholly or partly in Hancock County. All 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | city | 2,714 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Carthage | city | 2,291 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Warsaw | city | 1,518 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Harpe | city | 1,273 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nauvoo | city | 931 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Dallas City | city | 894 | None recorded | 62.3 percent here, 37.7 percent Henderson County |
| Augusta | village | 669 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bowen | village | 552 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Plymouth | village | 456 | None recorded | 96.5 percent here, 3.5 percent McDonough County |
| West Point | village | 201 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elvaston | village | 163 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pontoosuc | village | 108 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ferris | village | 105 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Basco | village | 59 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Niota | CDP | 39 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bentley | town | 22 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 8 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Hancock County, the largest being Mendon (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.