Fastest Growing Counties in Illinois (2026)

County
Rank
Change (2020) ↓
2026 Pop.
2020 Pop.
Kendall County112.62%149,055132,351
Champaign County25.45%217,496206,252
McHenry County33.56%321,007309,973
Grundy County43.42%54,33152,535
Will County53.17%718,983696,909
Kane County62.34%528,509516,403
DuPage County72.31%953,066931,508
DeKalb County82.31%102,683100,368
Lake County91.96%727,398713,426
Putnam County101.63%5,7235,631
Clinton County111.56%37,48936,913
Ford County121.55%13,72113,511
Brown County131.31%6,3196,237
McLean County141.16%173,221171,236
Douglas County151.14%20,00619,780
Jackson County161.12%53,86353,264
Williamson County170.89%67,71867,121
Winnebago County180.69%286,942284,963
Effingham County190.56%34,90034,707
Boone County200.23%53,46153,339
Rock Island County21-0.03%144,315144,360
Peoria County22-0.05%181,420181,512
Cook County23-0.08%5,262,8075,267,072
Moultrie County24-0.35%14,44114,492
Johnson County25-0.54%13,25013,322
Cumberland County26-0.63%10,37110,437
Wayne County27-0.79%16,03416,161
Woodford County28-0.81%38,09638,407
Sangamon County29-0.83%194,603196,223
Crawford County30-0.84%18,48018,637
Kankakee County31-0.88%106,458107,403
Livingston County32-0.93%35,48335,816
LaSalle County33-0.94%108,376109,409
Monroe County34-0.96%34,61934,953
Ogle County35-0.98%51,25351,762
Schuyler County36-1.02%6,8006,870
De Witt County37-1.09%15,29515,464
Tazewell County38-1.14%129,793131,296
Randolph County39-1.2%29,72330,084
Logan County40-1.32%27,53827,905
Madison County41-1.35%262,167265,749
Whiteside County42-1.38%54,80755,574
Piatt County43-1.43%16,44416,683
Jersey County44-1.67%21,13421,492
Coles County45-1.87%46,20547,084
Lee County46-1.89%33,42034,063
Washington County47-1.94%13,46513,731
Stark County48-1.97%5,2825,388
Knox County49-1.98%48,82249,806
Fayette County50-2.01%21,05321,485
Pope County51-2.1%3,6793,758
Carroll County52-2.1%15,34815,678
Union County53-2.15%16,92617,298
Shelby County54-2.23%20,44020,907
Bond County55-2.38%16,45416,856
Franklin County56-2.47%36,78737,717
Christian County57-2.59%33,10333,982
Scott County58-2.64%4,9405,074
Henry County59-2.79%47,80749,178
Macon County60-2.95%100,703103,764
Edgar County61-2.96%16,31016,808
Marshall County62-3.02%11,35611,710
St. Clair County63-3.04%249,259257,070
Cass County64-3.04%12,58112,976
Menard County65-3.06%11,89712,272
Iroquois County66-3.08%26,13526,966
Jasper County67-3.14%8,9649,255
Montgomery County68-3.22%27,33328,242
Adams County69-3.3%63,45765,622
Macoupin County70-3.32%43,43144,924
Morgan County71-3.54%32,30833,494
Jefferson County72-3.62%35,65937,000
Pike County73-3.7%14,09614,637
Warren County74-3.74%16,20316,832
McDonough County75-3.81%26,08227,116
Bureau County76-3.86%31,94233,225
Hamilton County77-3.89%7,6827,993
Wabash County78-3.91%10,87311,315
Fulton County79-4.03%32,20233,554
Clark County80-4.25%14,79215,448
Lawrence County81-4.27%14,63115,283
Mercer County82-4.27%14,96415,632
White County83-4.29%13,22113,814
Marion County84-4.32%36,03137,657
Stephenson County85-4.49%42,57044,573
Richland County86-4.57%15,08215,805
Jo Daviess County87-4.58%21,08622,098
Mason County88-4.6%12,45313,053
Edwards County89-4.82%5,9106,209
Vermilion County90-5.13%70,21674,010
Perry County91-5.14%19,81820,892
Saline County92-5.22%22,50223,741
Hancock County93-5.26%16,63417,558
Clay County94-5.27%12,57313,273
Hardin County95-5.32%3,4523,646
Massac County96-5.36%13,37914,137
Gallatin County97-5.88%4,6544,945
Henderson County98-6.33%5,9346,335
Greene County99-6.94%11,10711,935
Calhoun County100-7.2%4,0864,403
Pulaski County101-8.8%4,7235,179
Alexander County102-16.16%4,3365,172

Illinois Counties Growth Overview

Illinois's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2026. Kendall County leads with 2% annualized growth, followed by Champaign County (0.89%) and McHenry County (0.58%). The largest counties are Cook County (5,262,807), DuPage County (953,066), and Lake County (727,398). Of the 102 counties in Illinois, 20 are growing while 82 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged -0.35% annualized growth, with total population growing by 0.06% annually.

Change (2020)

-0.05

-0.025

0

0.025

0.05

0.075