McLean County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
McLean County, Illinois has a population of 171,556 across 1,183 square miles, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $16.91 bn in 2024, 3,481 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 97 7(a) approvals worth $53.6 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
McLean County
How many people live in McLean County
- Population171,556
- Households70,220
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$79,905
- Median age34.3
- Median gross rent$1,009 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$208,400
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher47.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over106,224
- Population under 1836,391
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over25,004
- Share 65 and over14.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64110,161
- Civilian labor force90,345
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.8 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties13th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents399th
McLean County is the 13th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 14.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
McLean County
Is McLean County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.48 percent
- Census 2020 base population171,241
- Births, 20241,617
- Deaths, 20241,384
- Natural change, 2024233
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,047
- Net international migration, 20241,387
- Total net migration, 2024340
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-3,768
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1661st
The county has grown 0.48 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
McLean County
Where people moving to McLean County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,929
- People arriving, from those returns6,213
- Adjusted gross income arriving$266.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$67,848
- Largest single originMcLean County Non-migrants (62,021 households)
- Largest single destination (62,021 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLean County Non-migrants | 62,021 | 126,920 | $6.12 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,525 | 2,554 | $122.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 591 | 1,066 | $48.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 515 | 822 | $37.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 331 | 488 | $16.6 m |
| Cook County | 320 | 488 | $24.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 319 | 518 | $26.7 m |
| Champaign County | 184 | 284 | $10.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is McLean County Non-migrants, 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.
McLean County
What the McLean County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$16.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$16.00 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.7 percent
- GDP change over five years27.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents298th
- GDP per resident$98,570
Output grew 5.7 percent in the latest year and 27.5 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.
McLean County
Who employs people in McLean County
- Covered employment, annual average88,945
- Establishments reporting3,357
- Average annual pay$66,183
- Average weekly wage$1,273
- Sector 52, employment17,372
- Sector 52, average annual pay$110,363
- Sector 62, employment10,532
- Sector 62, average annual pay$59,159
- Sector 31-33, employment9,817
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$80,990
- Sector 72, employment8,819
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,635
- Sector 44-45, employment8,240
- Sector 56, employment3,913
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 52 | 17,372 | 192 | $110,363 |
| Sector 62 | 10,532 | 318 | $59,159 |
| Sector 31-33 | 9,817 | 114 | $80,990 |
| Sector 72 | 8,819 | 362 | $24,635 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,240 | 414 | $36,272 |
| Sector 56 | 3,913 | 190 | $47,961 |
| Sector 23 | 2,639 | 334 | $74,455 |
| Sector 81 | 2,624 | 304 | $52,042 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 17,372 jobs, 19.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
McLean County
What businesses operate in McLean County
- Establishments, all industries3,481
- Employment at those establishments75,617
- Annual payroll$5.52 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
McLean County
What is being built in McLean County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024243
- Declared construction value permitted$60.1 m
- Single family units authorised166
- Multifamily units authorised77
- Multifamily share of units31.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$247,501
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.5
Multifamily is 31.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
McLean County
How much SBA lending happens in McLean County
- 7(a) approvals recorded97
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$53.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$552,351
- Median 7(a) approval$287,500
- 10th percentile approval$35,400
- 90th percentile approval$1,429,900
- Largest single approval$4,542,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)993
- Jobs per approval10.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active38
- Distinct industries receiving approvals58
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms19
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter75
- Franchise loans14
- Franchise share of approvals14.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (7)
- Most active lenderHeartland Bank and Trust Company (17)
- 504 approvals recorded87
- 504 gross approval dollars$70.8 m
- Average 504 approval$814,069
- Median 504 approval$461,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval12.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.1
- Most active CDCSmall Business Growth Corporation (57)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals52.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$124.4 m
The average approval of $552,351 sits well above the median of $287,500, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 19.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
McLean County
Do SBA loans in McLean County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded33
- Paid in full33
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full33
- Status: Exempt from disclosure42
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed12
Of the 33 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McLean County
Which parts of McLean County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Bloomington, approvals71
- Normal, approvals13
- HEYWORTH, approvals6
- LE ROY, approvals4
- Towanda, approvals2
- Downs, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | 71 | $40,147,800 |
| Normal | 13 | $8,559,900 |
| HEYWORTH | 6 | $3,330,600 |
| LE ROY | 4 | $1,339,000 |
| Towanda | 2 | $149,000 |
| Downs | 1 | $51,700 |
Bloomington accounts for 71 approvals against 13 in Normal. 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.
McLean County
How big is McLean County
- Land area1,183 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties1st of 102
- Width, east to west42.6 mi
- Height, north to south32.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land145
- Establishments per square mile2.94
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.
McLean County
What hazards affect McLean County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book17
- Of those, participating in the NFIP16
- NFIP participation rate94.1 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a McLean 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 McLean County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population171,556
- Households70,220
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$79,905
- Median age34.3
Common questions
McLean County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McLean County, Illinois?
171,556, in 70,220 households, ranking 13th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McLean County growing?
The population has grown 0.48 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,617 births against 1,384 deaths, with net migration of 340. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McLean County?
$79,905. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $208,400, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,009 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in McLean County?
3,481 establishments, employing 75,617 people with an annual payroll of $5.52 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in McLean County?
Average annual pay is $66,183, or $1,273 a week, across 88,945 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McLean County?
97 7(a) approvals totalling $53.6 m since FY2020, across 38 lenders, with a median approval of $287,500, plus 87 504 approvals worth $70.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in McLean County get paid back?
Of the 33 loans that have reached a final outcome, 33 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in McLean County?
243 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $60.1 m. Multifamily was 31.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for McLean 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 McLean County come from?
The largest single origin is McLean County Non-migrants, with 62,021 households. Arriving households report an average income of $67,848 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for McLean 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 McLean County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.