Whiteside County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Whiteside County, Illinois has a population of 54,947 across 684 square miles, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.98 bn in 2024, 1,158 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 23 7(a) approvals worth $7.4 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Whiteside County
How many people live in Whiteside County
- Population54,947
- Households23,120
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$67,500
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$856 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$127,100
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over38,673
- Population under 1812,065
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over11,967
- Share 65 and over21.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6430,915
- Civilian labor force27,351
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.8 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties24th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents946th
Whiteside County is the 24th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 21.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Whiteside County
Is Whiteside County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.87 percent
- Census 2020 base population55,700
- Births, 2024568
- Deaths, 2024742
- Natural change, 2024-174
- Net domestic migration, 2024147
- Net international migration, 2024109
- Total net migration, 2024256
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-321
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2469th
The county has lost 1.87 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.
Whiteside County
Where people moving to Whiteside County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,042
- People arriving, from those returns1,821
- Adjusted gross income arriving$53.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,947
- Largest single originWhiteside County Non-migrants (22,399 households)
- Largest single destination (22,399 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteside County Non-migrants | 22,399 | 44,208 | $1.54 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 317 | 562 | $18.8 m |
| Lee County | 191 | 318 | $9.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 158 | 253 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 122 | 213 | $6.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 117 | 207 | $6.4 m |
| Clinton County | 104 | 191 | $3.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 78 | 142 | $5.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Whiteside 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.
Whiteside County
What the Whiteside County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.98 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.84 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years37.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties29th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents986th
- GDP per resident$54,194
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 37.2 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.
Whiteside County
Who employs people in Whiteside County
- Covered employment, annual average21,197
- Establishments reporting1,185
- Average annual pay$54,164
- Average weekly wage$1,042
- Sector 31-33, employment3,442
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,631
- Sector 44-45, employment2,531
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,326
- Sector 62, employment2,232
- Sector 62, average annual pay$66,986
- Sector 72, employment1,848
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,758
- Sector 48-49, employment1,442
- Sector 54, employment903
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,442 | 80 | $69,631 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,531 | 166 | $34,326 |
| Sector 62 | 2,232 | 103 | $66,986 |
| Sector 72 | 1,848 | 132 | $18,758 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,442 | 48 | $56,796 |
| Sector 54 | 903 | 59 | $63,376 |
| Sector 23 | 838 | 106 | $73,187 |
| Sector 42 | 636 | 71 | $70,511 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,442 jobs, 16.2 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.
Whiteside County
What businesses operate in Whiteside County
- Establishments, all industries1,158
- Employment at those establishments17,838
- Annual payroll$862.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Whiteside County
What is being built in Whiteside County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202425
- Declared construction value permitted$7.8 m
- Single family units authorised21
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units16.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$312,566
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.1
Multifamily is 16.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Whiteside County
How much SBA lending happens in Whiteside County
- 7(a) approvals recorded23
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$320,626
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$859,000
- Largest single approval$1,235,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)199
- Jobs per approval8.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer39.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals17.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderCitizens First Bank (7)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.4 m
- Average 504 approval$395,000
- Median 504 approval$284,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval34.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved87.3
- Most active CDCSmall Business Growth Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals79.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.7 m
The average approval of $320,626 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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. 39.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Whiteside County
Do SBA loans in Whiteside County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure12
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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.
Whiteside County
Which parts of Whiteside County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Fulton, approvals8
- Morrison, approvals7
- Rock Falls, approvals3
- Sterling, approvals3
- Prophetstown, approvals1
- ALBANY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fulton | 8 | $1,313,400 |
| Morrison | 7 | $3,919,200 |
| Rock Falls | 3 | $635,800 |
| Sterling | 3 | $1,206,000 |
| Prophetstown | 1 | $250,000 |
| ALBANY | 1 | $50,000 |
Fulton accounts for 8 approvals against 7 in Morrison. 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.
Whiteside County
How big is Whiteside County
- Land area684 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties26th of 102
- Width, east to west31.7 mi
- Height, north to south23.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land80
- Establishments per square mile1.69
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.
Whiteside County
What hazards affect Whiteside County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book10
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate90.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
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 Whiteside 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 Whiteside County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population54,947
- Households23,120
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$67,500
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Whiteside County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Whiteside County, Illinois?
54,947, in 23,120 households, ranking 24th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Whiteside County growing?
The population has fallen 1.87 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 568 births against 742 deaths, with net migration of 256. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Whiteside County?
$67,500. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $127,100, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $856 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Whiteside County?
1,158 establishments, employing 17,838 people with an annual payroll of $862.3 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 Whiteside County?
Average annual pay is $54,164, or $1,042 a week, across 21,197 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Whiteside County?
23 7(a) approvals totalling $7.4 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $2.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Whiteside County?
25 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.8 m. Multifamily was 16.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Whiteside 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 Whiteside County come from?
The largest single origin is Whiteside County Non-migrants, with 22,399 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,947 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 Whiteside 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 Whiteside 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.