Pope County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Pope County, Illinois has a population of 3,739 across 369 square miles, down 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $85.1 m in 2024, 49 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $163,700.
99 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Pope County
How many people live in Pope County
- Population3,739
- Households1,385
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$60,050
- Median age53.9
- Median gross rent$449 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$143,800
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,949
- Population under 18539
- Share under 1814.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,084
- Share 65 and over29.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,116
- Civilian labor force1,399
- Unemployment rate2.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over43.7 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties101st of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2982nd
Pope County is the 101st largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 29.0 percent against 14.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Pope County
Is Pope County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.73 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,768
- Births, 202414
- Deaths, 202468
- Natural change, 2024-54
- Net domestic migration, 202438
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 202442
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024114
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2428th
The county has lost 1.73 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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.
Pope County
Where people moving to Pope County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving56
- People arriving, from those returns95
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$46,839
- Largest single originPope County Non-migrants (1,325 households)
- Largest single destination (1,325 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County Non-migrants | 1,325 | 2,664 | $78.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 56 | 95 | $2.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Pope 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.
Pope County
What the Pope County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$85.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$82.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years49.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties102nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents3072nd
- GDP per resident$22,755
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 49.1 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.
Pope County
Who employs people in Pope County
- Covered employment, annual average643
- Establishments reporting48
- Average annual pay$41,535
- Average weekly wage$799
- Sector 72, employment63
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,299
- Sector 44-45, employment51
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$18,300
- Sector 81, employment10
- Sector 81, average annual pay$69,484
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 63 | 6 | $17,299 |
| Sector 44-45 | 51 | 8 | $18,300 |
| Sector 81 | 10 | 5 | $69,484 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 63 jobs, 9.8 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.
Pope County
What businesses operate in Pope County
- Establishments, all industries49
- Employment at those establishments430
- Annual payroll$12.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Pope County
What is being built in Pope County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Pope County
How much SBA lending happens in Pope County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$163,700
- Average 7(a) approval$81,850
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$63,700
- 90th percentile approval$100,000
- Largest single approval$100,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)6
- Jobs per approval3.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSign Manufacturing (2)
- Most active lenderFirst Mid Bank & Trust, National Association (2)
The average approval of $81,850 sits close to the median of $100,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Pope County
Do SBA loans in Pope County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Pope County
How big is Pope County
- Land area369 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties81st of 102
- Width, east to west16.4 mi
- Height, north to south36.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land10
- Establishments per square mile0.13
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.
Pope County
What hazards affect Pope County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Pope 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 Pope County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population3,739
- Households1,385
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$60,050
- Median age53.9
Common questions
Pope County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pope County, Illinois?
3,739, in 1,385 households, ranking 101st of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pope County growing?
The population has fallen 1.73 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 14 births against 68 deaths, with net migration of 42. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pope County?
$60,050. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $143,800, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $449 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Pope County?
49 establishments, employing 430 people with an annual payroll of $12.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Pope County?
Average annual pay is $41,535, or $799 a week, across 643 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pope County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $163,700 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Pope County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Pope 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 Pope County come from?
The largest single origin is Pope County Non-migrants, with 1,325 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,839 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 Pope 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 Pope 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.