Lawrence County, Illinois
Lawrence County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,280. Its county seat is Lawrenceville.
History
Lawrence County was formed in 1821 out of Crawford and Edwards counties. It was named for Capt. James Lawrence, who was killed in action during the War of 1812 while commanding the frigate. Mortally wounded, he gave his men the famous last order, "Don't give up the ship."Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Lawrenceville have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in May.Transit
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Crawford County - north
- Knox County, Indiana - east
- Wabash County - south
- Richland County - west
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 15,280. The median age was 41.4 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 124.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 129.6 males age 18 and over.The racial makeup of the county was 84.3% White, 9.2% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.4% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.4% of the population.
30.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 69.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,571 households in the county, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.3% were married-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 6,279 housing units, of which 11.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.8% were owner-occupied and 26.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 16,833 people, 6,130 households, and 4,056 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 6,936 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 87.3% white, 9.6% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.7% were German, 10.4% were American, 9.5% were Irish, and 7.8% were English.Of the 6,130 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 39.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,771 and the median income for a family was $45,565. Males had a median income of $40,949 versus $25,991 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,297. About 14.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.