Adams County, Illinois


Adams County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 65,737. Its county seat is Quincy. Adams County is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
WWW co.adams.il.us

History

Adams County was formed in 1825 out of Pike County. Its name is in honor of the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

Public transit

Major highways

*

National protected area

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Quincy have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1979 and a record high of was recorded in July 2005. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 65,737. The median age was 41.3 years, 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.0% of the population.
66.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 33.9% lived in rural areas.
There were 27,313 households in the county, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.3% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 30,235 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.5% were owner-occupied and 28.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.

2006–2010 American Community Survey

The median income for a household in the county was $55,052 and the median income for a family was $72,091. Males had a median income of $41,852 versus $29,404 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,035. About 9.4% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Community
Community
type		PopulationTotal
Area		Water
Area		Land
Area		Pop.
Density		-
Camp Pointvillage1,1211.270.001.27885.47
Claytonvillage6390.890.010.88722.85
Coatsburgvillage1500.130.000.131,136.36
Columbusvillage1140.220.000.22520.55
Goldenvillage6480.640.000.641,009.35
La Prairievillage420.190.000.19217.62
Libertyvillage5430.390.000.391,388.75
Limavillage1480.140.000.141,096.30
Lorainevillage3000.840.000.84355.45
Mendonvillage8720.860.000.861,017.50
Paysonvillage1,0251.170.001.17876.07
Plainvillevillage2710.230.000.231,153.19
Quincy city39,46315.810.0415.772,503.20
Ursavillage6090.690.000.69882.61
Adams Countycounty65,7378711685575

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Adams County is divided into twenty-three townships:

Politics

Adams County, positioned in a primarily rural section of Illinois, is culturally isolated from Chicago, and therefore is somewhat more conservative than the state's northeastern corner. Quincy, the county seat, is home to a high number of socially conservative Catholics and likewise is the home to the campus of Quincy University, a private Catholic liberal arts college, and the Western Catholic Union.
The county is part of the historic belt of German settlement extending into the Missouri Rhineland. Since it was antagonistic to the Yankee northeast of Illinois, it voted solidly Democratic until 1892. After being a swing county in the first half of the twentieth century, Adams County has been a Republican stronghold. It has gone Republican in all but four presidential elections since 1920, all but one of which was a 400-vote Democratic landslide. The county last supported a Democrat in 1964, when it voted for Lyndon Johnson. The county regularly supports the Republicans at the state level as well; it has not supported a Democrat for Governor of Illinois since Adlai Stevenson II in 1948. Additionally, five of the six countywide elected officials in Adams County are Republicans, with a Democrat holding the position of Circuit Clerk. Notably, while it voted for Barack Obama in his 2004 Senate campaign, he lost it by wide margins in both of his presidential bids.
The county is part of Illinois's 15th congressional district, currently represented by Republican Mary Miller. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is located in the 94th district, represented by Republican Randy Frese. The county is located in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, represented by Republican Jil Tracy.

Education

Unified school districts

School districts covering sections of the county include:

Private schools

Colleges and universities

Attractions