Henderson County, Illinois

History

Henderson County was formed in 1841 from a portion of Warren County. It was named for Henderson County, Kentucky, which was named for Richard Henderson, founder of the Transylvania Company, an early attempt to organize what later became Kentucky around 1775. File:Henderson County Illinois 1841.png|Henderson County at the time of its creation in 1841

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 395 sqmi, of which 379 sqmi is land and 16 sqmi (4.1%) is water.

Climate and weather

|Oquawka, Illinois |15|30|1.31 |21|36|1.54 |31|49|2.96 |43|62|3.61 |54|72|4.40 |63|82|4.45 |67|85|4.48 |65|83|3.86 |57|76|3.60 |46|65|2.91 |33|49|2.72 |21|35|2.10 In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Oquawka have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in February 1996 and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in August 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.31 in in January to 4.48 in in July.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 34.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 34
• [[Image:Illinois 94.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 94
• [[Image:Illinois 96.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 96
• [[Image:Illinois 116.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 116
• [[Image:Illinois 164.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 164

Adjacent counties

• Mercer County - north
• Warren County - east
• McDonough County - southeast
• Hancock County - south
• Lee County, Iowa - southwest
• Des Moines County, Iowa - west

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 6,387. The median age was 50.1 years. 18.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 95.4% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.

0.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 99.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,834 households in the county, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.4% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,357 housing units, of which 15.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.3% were owner-occupied and 19.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.8%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 7,331 people, 3,149 households, and 2,127 families residing in the county. The population density was 19.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,827 housing units at an average density of 10.1 /sqmi.

The racial makeup of the county was 98.2% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.4% were German, 14.5% were Irish, 11.9% were English, 5.9% were Swedish, and 5.0% were American.

Of the 3,149 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age was 47.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,450 and the median income for a family was $55,154. Males had a median income of $41,052 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,492. About 7.8% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Government

County Board

County Board at-large Dick Bigger Democrat

County Officials

Courts

Judicial Court

As part of Yankee-settled Northern Illinois, Henderson County was solidly Whig in its first three elections and then equally Republican from that party's formation until the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 was the first Democrat to win it, but the county returned to Republican Alf Landon in 1936 and was not won by a Democrat until the GOP nominated the southern-oriented conservative Barry Goldwater in 1964.

After that, like many Yankee counties, it returned to its Republican roots between 1968 and 1984, but turned reliably Democratic in presidential elections from 1988 to 2012. Republican Donald Trump carried the county with over 61 percent of the vote in 2016; the highest percentage won by any Republican candidate since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, and for then Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, it was the lowest by a Democrat since Al Smith in 1928. Republican margins have continued to improve in each subsequent election as rural Illinois shifts sharply to the right and native son Barack Obama is no longer on the ballot, with Trump's 68% in 2024 marking the best Republican result since 1928. The county's new Republican dominance has extended to the local level as well, with Republicans going entirely unchallenged for county office.

Henderson County is located in Illinois's 15th Congressional District and is currently represented by Republican Mary Miller. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is located in the 94th district and is currently represented by Republican Norine Hammond. The county is located in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, and is currently represented by Republican Jil Tracy. Along with five other counties, Henderson County makes up Illinois's 9th Judicial Circuit Court.

Communities

City

• Dallas City (partly in Hancock County)

Villages

• Biggsville
• Gladstone
• Gulfport
• Lomax
• Media
• Oquawka
• Raritan
• Stronghurst

Census-designated place

• Carman

Unincorporated communities

• Bald Bluff
• Carthage Lake
• Decorra
• Hopper
• Olena
• Shokonon
• Terre Haute

Townships

Henderson County is divided into eleven townships:

• Bald Bluff
• Biggsville
• Carman
• Gladstone
• Lomax
• Media
• Oquawka
• Raritan
• Rozetta
• Stronghurst
• Terre Haute

State and Federal facilities

• Big River State Forest - 2,900 acre preserve adjacent to the Mississippi River (1925)
• Delabar State Park - 89 acre preserve adjacent to the Mississippi River (1960)
• Oquawka State Wildlife Refuge

Education

K-12 school districts include:

• Mercer County School District 404
• United Community School District 304
• West Central Community Unit School District 235
• West Prairie Community Unit School District 103

There is one secondary school district that extends into the county, Illini West High School District 307, as well as two elementary school districts: Dallas Elementary School District 327 and La Harpe Community School District 347.

Notes

References

References

1. (March 2025). "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020–2024". U.S. Department of Commerce.
2. "Henderson County, Illinois". [[United States Census Bureau]].
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
5. "Monthly Averages for Oquawka IL". The Weather Channel.
6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". United States Census Bureau.
7. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". US Census Bureau.
11. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau.
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois- Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 16 (p. 18-28) - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 29-39)".
16. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Orogin".
17. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Henderson County, Illinois".
18. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Henderson County, Illinois".
19. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Henderson County, Illinois".
20. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
21. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
22. not an option in the 1980 Census
23. not an option in the 1990 Census
24. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau.
25. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau.
26. "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau.
27. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau.
28. "Henderson County, Illinois, elections, 2024".
29. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections".
30. [https://www.stateparks.com/oquawka_state_wildlife_refuge.html ''Oquawka State Wildlife Refuge'' Illinois State Parks (accessed 19 December 2018)]
31. Geography Division. (December 22, 2020). "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Henderson County, IL". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
32. Geography Division. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Henderson County, IL". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].