Menard County, Illinois

History

Menard County was formed in 1839 out of Sangamon County. The County was named for Pierre Menard, the first lieutenant governor of Illinois. File:Menard County Illinois 1839.png|Menard County at the time of its creation in 1839 File:Menard County Illinois 1841.png|Menard County in 1841, reduced to its present borders

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of 315 sqmi, of which 314 sqmi is land and 1.0 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Climate and weather

|Petersburg, Illinois |17|33|1.62 |22|39|1.80 |32|51|3.15 |42|63|3.36 |53|74|4.06 |62|83|3.77 |66|87|3.53 |64|85|3.41 |55|79|2.83 |44|67|2.62 |34|51|2.87 |23|38|2.54 In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Petersburg have ranged from a low of 17 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 112 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.62 in in January to 4.06 in in May.

Major highways

• [[Image:Illinois 29.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 29
• [[Image:Illinois 97.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 97
• [[Image:Illinois 123.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 123

Adjacent counties

• Mason County - north
• Logan County - east
• Sangamon County - south
• Cass County - 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 12,297. The median age was 43.6 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.2% 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 92.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.0% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian,

There were 5,103 households in the county, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.2% were married-couple households, 15.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 5,591 housing units, of which 8.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.2% were owner-occupied and 19.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 12,705 people, 5,140 households, and 3,683 families living in the county. The population density was 40.4 PD/sqmi. There were 5,654 housing units at an average density of 18.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.

Of the 5,140 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 42.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $56,230 and the median income for a family was $65,882. Males had a median income of $42,408 versus $36,735 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,281. About 6.1% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Athens
• Petersburg (seat)

Villages

• Greenview
• Oakford
• Tallula

Census-designated place

• Lake Petersburg

Other unincorporated communities

• Atterberry
• Bobtown
• Croft
• Culver
• Curtis
• Fancy Prairie
• Hill Top
• Hilltop
• Hubly
• Lewisburg
• Loyd
• New Salem
• Old Salem Chautauqua
• Sweet Water
• Tice

Politics and county government

Illinois counties have the option of using or rejecting the township form of providing local services. In Illinois, only 16 of the state's 102 counties have opted out of the township system; Menard County is one of the sixteen.

In the years before World War I, Menard was a German Catholic and thus Democratic county, opposed to the pietism of Yankee Protestant Northern Illinois. Theodore Roosevelt in 1904 was the only Republican to carry the county in this time span.

However, resistance against Woodrow Wilson’s participatory attitude during World War I allowed Charles Evans Hughes to carry Menard County in 1916 by a mere four votes (Hughes lost the national election). Since then, as German hostility to Wilson hardened, Menard has become a strongly Republican county. The only Democrats who have carried Menard County since 1916 have been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, and Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Apart from these three 400-electoral vote Democratic landslides, George H. W. Bush in 1992 is the sole Republican candidate since 1920 to fail to win a majority in Menard County. Jimmy Carter and Illinois-bred Barack Obama are the only Democrats since 1964 to reach forty percent of Menard County’s vote. The last two elections have seen a large swing against the Democrats, common to all of rural downstate Illinois.

Education

K-12 School districts include:

• A-C Central Community Unit School District 262
• Athens Community Unit School District 213
• Greenview Community Unit School District 200
• Mount Pulaski Community Unit District 23
• Porta Community Unit School District 202
• Pleasant Plains Community Unit School District 8
• Williamsville Community Unit School District 15

There is also an elementary school district, New Holland-Middletown Elementary School District 88, and a secondary school district, Lincoln Community High School District 404.

References

References

1. (March 2025). "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020–2024". U.S. Department of Commerce.
2. "Menard County, Illinois". [[United States Census Bureau]].
3. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". U.S. Government Printing Office.
4. "Monthly Averages for Petersburg IL". The Weather Channel.
5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". United States Census Bureau.
6. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau.
9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". US Census Bureau.
10. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau.
11. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
13. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
14. "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)".
15. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Orogin".
16. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Menard County, Illinois".
17. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Menard County, Illinois".
18. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Menard County, Illinois".
19. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
20. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
21. not an option in the 1980 Census
22. not an option in the 1990 Census
23. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau.
24. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau.
25. "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau.
26. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau.
27. 60 ILCS 1/Art. 5
28. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections".
29. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Menard County, IL". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].