Mason County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Mason County, Illinois had an estimated 12,543 residents on July 1, 2024, down 4.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,086, across 539 square miles. County output reached $633.8 m in 2024, 255 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $500,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Mason County
How many people live in Mason County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,745
- Households5,781
- Average household size2.20
- Median household income$62,845
- Median age45.4
- Median gross rent$802 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$103,400
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,219
- Population under 182,647
- Share under 1820.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,939
- Share 65 and over23.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,159
- Civilian labor force5,674
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.2 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties82nd of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2302nd of 3,222
Mason County is the 82nd largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.1 percent against 20.8 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.
Mason County
Is Mason County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202412,543
- Census 2020 base population13,086
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.15 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-45
- Births, 2024120
- Deaths, 2024183
- Natural change, 2024-63
- Net domestic migration, 202413
- Net international migration, 20246
- Total net migration, 202419
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-129
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2915th of 3,144
The county has lost 4.15 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mason County
Where are people moving to Mason County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving302
- People arriving, from those returns586
- Tax returns filed by households leaving307
- Net household movement-5
- Adjusted gross income arriving$13.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-245,000
- Average income of an arriving household$43,626
- Average income of a leaving household$43,713
- Largest single originTazewell County (75 households)
- Largest single destinationTazewell County (82 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tazewell County | 75 | 168 | $3.4 m |
| Logan County | 35 | 76 | $1.3 m |
| Fulton County | 21 | 37 | $879,000 |
Households arriving report $87 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Tazewell 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.
Mason County
What is the Mason County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$633.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$603.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years52.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes81st of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2231st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$49,728
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 52.4 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.
Mason County
Employment by industry in Mason County
- Covered employment, annual average2,828
- Establishments reporting298
- Average annual pay$42,271
- Average weekly wage$813
- Retail trade, employment350
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,740
- Health care and social assistance, employment319
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$31,021
- Wholesale trade, employment190
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$68,921
- Manufacturing, employment124
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$64,489
- Finance and insurance, employment111
- Other services, except public administration, employment84
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 350 | 42 | $27,740 |
| Health care and social assistance | 319 | 21 | $31,021 |
| Wholesale trade | 190 | 20 | $68,921 |
| Manufacturing | 124 | 11 | $64,489 |
| Finance and insurance | 111 | 17 | $72,499 |
| Other services, except public administration | 84 | 27 | $34,025 |
| Construction | 70 | 21 | $54,385 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 22 | 7 | $44,274 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 350 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Mason County
How many businesses are in Mason County?
- Establishments, all industries255
- Employment at those establishments1,974
- Annual payroll$88.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.0
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.
Mason County
Building permits in Mason County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$2.0 m
- Single family units authorized6
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$329,306
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.0
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.
Mason County
SBA loans in Mason County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$500,000
- Average 7(a) approval$500,000
- Median 7(a) approval$500,000
- Largest single approval$500,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)8
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer100.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals100.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mason County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Mason County
Do SBA loans in Mason County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Mason County
How large is Mason County?
- Land area539 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties48th of 102
- Width, east to west39.8 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land24
- Establishments per square mile0.47
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.
Mason County
Flood risk in Mason County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Mason County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170463
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate85.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Mason 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 Mason County (community 170463), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Mason 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. 85.7 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 Mason 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 Mason County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,745
- Households5,781
- Average household size2.20
- Median household income$62,845
- Median age45.4
Common questions
Mason County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mason County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 12,543 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 12,745, in 5,781 households, ranking 82nd of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mason County's population growing?
The population has fallen 4.15 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,086, to 12,543 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 120 births against 183 deaths, with net migration of 19. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mason County?
$62,845. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,400, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $802 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Mason County?
255 establishments, employing 1,974 people with an annual payroll of $88.9 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 Mason County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 350 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,828 jobs at an average annual pay of $42,271, or $813 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mason County?
1 7(a) approvals totaling $500,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $500,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Mason County?
6 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mason 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 Mason County come from?
The largest single origin is Tazewell County, with 75 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,626 against $43,713 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Mason 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 Mason 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.
Mason County
Cities and places in Mason.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Mason County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havana | city | 2,989 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mason City | city | 2,159 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Manito | village | 1,692 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| San Jose | village | 557 | None recorded | 76.5 percent here, 23.5 percent Logan County |
| Easton | village | 285 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kilbourne | village | 268 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bath | village | 224 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Forest City | village | 223 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Goofy Ridge | CDP | 125 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Topeka | village | 47 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby