Jackson County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Jackson County, Illinois had an estimated 53,199 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 53,338, across 584 square miles. County output reached $3.30 bn in 2024, 1,196 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 23 7(a) approvals worth $11.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Jackson County
How many people live in Jackson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202453,064
- Households22,955
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$48,763
- Median age32.4
- Median gross rent$782 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$137,300
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over31,605
- Population under 189,994
- Share under 1818.8 percent
- Population 65 and over8,778
- Share 65 and over16.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6434,292
- Civilian labor force24,954
- Unemployment rate7.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.9 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties27th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included974th of 3,222
Jackson County is the 27th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.8 percent against 16.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jackson County
Is Jackson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202453,199
- Census 2020 base population53,338
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.26 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024332
- Births, 2024529
- Deaths, 2024544
- Natural change, 2024-15
- Net domestic migration, 2024-199
- Net international migration, 2024543
- Total net migration, 2024344
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,342
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1944th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.26 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.
Jackson County
Where are people moving to Jackson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,531
- People arriving, from those returns2,537
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,877
- Net household movement-346
- Adjusted gross income arriving$61.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-21.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$40,412
- Average income of a leaving household$44,649
- Largest single originWilliamson County (263 households)
- Largest single destinationWilliamson County (316 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson County | 263 | 466 | $9.5 m |
| Cook County | 86 | 131 | $2.9 m |
| Perry County | 70 | 126 | $4.0 m |
| Franklin County | 51 | 85 | $1.7 m |
| Union County | 45 | 85 | $1.8 m |
| Randolph County | 41 | 70 | $1.5 m |
| St. Clair County | 24 | 47 | $860,000 |
| Cape Girardeau County | 20 | 26 | $675,000 |
Households arriving report $4,237 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Williamson 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.
Jackson County
What is the Jackson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.30 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.23 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.0 percent
- GDP change over five years23.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes27th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes919th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$62,141
Output grew 2.0 percent in the latest year and 23.9 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.
Jackson County
Employment by industry in Jackson County
- Covered employment, annual average25,266
- Establishments reporting1,137
- Average annual pay$56,398
- Average weekly wage$1,085
- Health care and social assistance, employment4,653
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$64,448
- Retail trade, employment2,778
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,387
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,257
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,733
- Construction, employment1,210
- Construction, average annual pay$68,220
- Manufacturing, employment1,059
- Finance and insurance, employment691
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 4,653 | 116 | $64,448 |
| Retail trade | 2,778 | 165 | $31,387 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,257 | 137 | $21,733 |
| Construction | 1,210 | 94 | $68,220 |
| Manufacturing | 1,059 | 43 | $55,376 |
| Finance and insurance | 691 | 54 | $110,743 |
| Other services, except public administration | 536 | 108 | $32,383 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 454 | 94 | $54,539 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 4,653 jobs, 18.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Jackson County
How many businesses are in Jackson County?
- Establishments, all industries1,196
- Employment at those establishments16,485
- Annual payroll$707.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.5
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.
Jackson County
Building permits in Jackson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20244
- Declared construction value permitted$811,929
- Single family units authorized4
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$202,982
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.2
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.
Jackson County
SBA loans in Jackson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded23
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$11.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$502,574
- Median 7(a) approval$399,100
- 10th percentile approval$31,200
- 90th percentile approval$1,252,120
- Largest single approval$1,750,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)259
- Jobs per approval11.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals18
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals17.4 percent
- Most active lenderFirst Mid Bank & Trust, National Association (9)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.9 m
- Average 504 approval$590,700
- Median 504 approval$377,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval11.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.3
- Most active CDCSmall Business Growth Corporation (8)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$17.5 m
The average approval of $502,574 sits well above the median of $399,100, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 30.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Jackson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Jackson County
Do SBA loans in Jackson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 7 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.
Jackson County
SBA lending by place in Jackson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Carbondale, approvals15
- Murphysboro, approvals4
- De Soto, approvals2
- Vergennes, approvals1
- Mesquite Tx, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Carbondale | 15 | $9,437,100 |
| Murphysboro | 4 | $400,100 |
| De Soto | 2 | $1,192,000 |
| Vergennes | 1 | $500,000 |
| Mesquite Tx | 1 | $30,000 |
Carbondale accounts for 15 approvals against 4 in Murphysboro. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jackson County
How large is Jackson County?
- Land area584 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties37th of 102
- Width, east to west28.6 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land91
- Establishments per square mile2.05
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.
Jackson County
Flood risk in Jackson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Jackson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170927
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book10
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate90.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 10
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Jackson County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Jackson County (community 170927), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Jackson County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 10, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 90.0 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202453,064
- Households22,955
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$48,763
- Median age32.4
Common questions
Jackson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jackson County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 53,199 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 53,064, in 22,955 households, ranking 27th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jackson County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.26 percent since the 2020 census base of 53,338, to 53,199 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 529 births against 544 deaths, with net migration of 344. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jackson County?
$48,763. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $137,300, which is 2.8 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 Jackson County?
1,196 establishments, employing 16,485 people with an annual payroll of $707.4 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 Jackson County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 4,653 jobs, 18.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 25,266 jobs at an average annual pay of $56,398, or $1,085 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jackson County?
23 7(a) approvals totaling $11.6 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $399,100, plus 10 504 approvals worth $5.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Jackson County?
4 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $811,929. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jackson County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Jackson County come from?
The largest single origin is Williamson County, with 263 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,412 against $44,649 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Jackson 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 Jackson 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.
Jackson County
Cities and places in Jackson.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Jackson County. All 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbondale | city | 22,158 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Murphysboro | city | 6,735 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| De Soto | village | 1,654 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Harrison | CDP | 830 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elkville | village | 751 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Makanda | village | 612 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ava | city | 561 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Grand Tower | city | 502 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Campbell Hill | village | 328 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vergennes | village | 303 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Dowell | village | 299 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gorham | village | 248 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 23 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Jackson County, the largest being Mesquite Tx (1). 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.
Nearby