Menard County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Menard County, Illinois had an estimated 11,963 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 12,296, across 314 square miles. County output reached $364.2 m in 2024, 207 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Menard County
How many people live in Menard County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,095
- Households5,228
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$82,176
- Median age42.8
- Median gross rent$885 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$185,500
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,621
- Population under 182,643
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,513
- Share 65 and over20.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,939
- Civilian labor force5,802
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.4 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties83rd of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2346th of 3,222
Menard County is the 83rd largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 20.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Menard County
Is Menard County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202411,963
- Census 2020 base population12,296
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.71 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-33
- Births, 2024130
- Deaths, 2024122
- Natural change, 20248
- Net domestic migration, 2024-50
- Net international migration, 202410
- Total net migration, 2024-40
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-251
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2680th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.71 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Menard County
Where are people moving to Menard County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving307
- People arriving, from those returns528
- Tax returns filed by households leaving307
- Net household movement0
- Adjusted gross income arriving$17.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-93,000
- Average income of an arriving household$57,964
- Average income of a leaving household$58,267
- Largest single originSangamon County (174 households)
- Largest single destinationSangamon County (143 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangamon County | 174 | 297 | $10.6 m |
Households arriving report $303 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Sangamon 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.
Menard County
What is the Menard County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$364.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$352.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.4 percent
- GDP change over five years45.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes90th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2602nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$30,109
Output grew 3.4 percent in the latest year and 45.4 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.
Menard County
Employment by industry in Menard County
- Covered employment, annual average1,773
- Establishments reporting229
- Average annual pay$42,242
- Average weekly wage$812
- Retail trade, employment234
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,303
- Accommodation and food services, employment153
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,928
- Construction, employment97
- Construction, average annual pay$50,887
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment97
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$45,387
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment50
- Manufacturing, employment41
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 234 | 25 | $27,303 |
| Accommodation and food services | 153 | 21 | $21,928 |
| Construction | 97 | 36 | $50,887 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 97 | 15 | $45,387 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 50 | 13 | $35,882 |
| Manufacturing | 41 | 5 | $18,320 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 36 | 7 | $20,851 |
| Wholesale trade | 35 | 7 | $99,862 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 234 jobs, 13.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Menard County
How many businesses are in Menard County?
- Establishments, all industries207
- Employment at those establishments1,216
- Annual payroll$52.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.1
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.
Menard County
Building permits in Menard County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$3.1 m
- Single family units authorized9
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$347,667
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.7
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.
Menard County
SBA loans in Menard County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$119,480
- Median 7(a) approval$111,400
- Largest single approval$244,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)45
- Jobs per approval4.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term101 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (4)
- Most active lenderBank of Springfield (5)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$489,000
- Average 504 approval$244,500
- Median 504 approval$244,500
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.2
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.7 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.
Menard County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Menard County
Do SBA loans in Menard County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full4
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 5 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.
Menard County
SBA lending by place in Menard County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Athens, approvals5
- Petersburg, approvals4
- Greenview, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Athens | 5 | $545,200 |
| Petersburg | 4 | $504,600 |
| Greenview | 1 | $145,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Menard County
How large is Menard County?
- Land area314 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties90th of 102
- Width, east to west22 mi
- Height, north to south17.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land39
- Establishments per square mile0.66
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.
Menard County
Flood risk in Menard County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Menard County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170505
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate83.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Menard 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 Menard County (community 170505), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Menard 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. 83.3 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 Menard 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 Menard County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,095
- Households5,228
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$82,176
- Median age42.8
Common questions
Menard County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Menard County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 11,963 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 12,095, in 5,228 households, ranking 83rd of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Menard County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.71 percent since the 2020 census base of 12,296, to 11,963 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 130 births against 122 deaths, with net migration of -40. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Menard County?
$82,176. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $185,500, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $885 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Menard County?
207 establishments, employing 1,216 people with an annual payroll of $52.2 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 Menard County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 234 jobs, 13.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,773 jobs at an average annual pay of $42,242, or $812 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Menard County?
10 7(a) approvals totaling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $111,400, plus 2 504 approvals worth $489,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Menard County?
9 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Menard 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 Menard County come from?
The largest single origin is Sangamon County, with 174 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,964 against $58,267 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Menard 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 Menard 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.
Menard County
Cities and places in Menard.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Menard County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg | city | 2,341 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Athens | city | 2,102 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Petersburg | CDP | 928 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Greenview | village | 912 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Tallula | village | 494 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oakford | village | 191 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby