Christian County, Illinois

Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,032. Its county seat is Taylorville.

The county was originally called Dane County.

File:Christian County Illinois 1839.png|Christian County at its creation in 1839

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Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Macon County (northeast)
Shelby County (southeast)
Montgomery County (southwest)
Sangamon County (northwest)

Major highways

25px US Route 51
25px Illinois Route 16
25px Illinois Route 29
25px Illinois Route 48
25px Illinois Route 104

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Taylorville 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 August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br />1790-1960 1900-1990<br />1990-2000 2010

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 34,032. The median age was 43.5 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 111.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 113.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 92.4% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.2% of the population.

49.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 50.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 13,721 households in the county, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.8% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|36,143

|34,095

|33,921

|33,331

|style='background: #ffffe6; |31,226

|99.17%

|99.06%

|95.90%

|95.78%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |91.75%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|75

|81

|754

|492

|style='background: #ffffe6; |380

|0.21%

|0.24%

|2.13%

|1.41%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.12%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|33

|51

|49

|41

|style='background: #ffffe6; |59

|0.09%

|0.15%

|0.14%

|0.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%

|Asian alone (NH)

|56

|87

|131

|165

|style='background: #ffffe6; |179

|0.15%

|0.25%

|0.37%

|0.47%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.53%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1

|0.03%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|27

|style='background: #ffffe6; |60

|0.07%

|0.00%

|0.02%

|0.03%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.18%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|157

|284

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,033

|0.44%

|0.82%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.04%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|112

|103

|345

|471

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,094

|0.31%

|0.30%

|0.98%

|1.35%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.21%

|Total

|36,446

|34,418

|35,372

|34,800

|style='background: #ffffe6; |34,032

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 34,800 people, 14,055 households, and 9,211 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 15,563 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 1.4% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population.

Of the 14,055 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.5% were non-families, and 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.6 years.

Communities

right|250px|Map of Christian County, Illinois

Cities

Assumption
Pana
Taylorville

Villages

Bulpitt
Edinburg
Harvel
Jeisyville
Kincaid
Morrisonville
Mount Auburn
Moweaqua
Owaneco
Palmer
Stonington
Tovey

Census-designated places

Langleyville

Other unincorporated places

Bolivia
Clarksdale
Dunkel
Ellis
Grove City
Hewittsville
Midway
Millersville
Old Stonington
Osbernville
Radford
Roby
Rosamond
Sharpsburg
Sicily
Vanderville
Velma
Willey Station
Zenobia

Townships

Christian County is divided into these seventeen townships:

Assumption
Bear Creek
Buckhart
Greenwood
Johnson
King
Locust
May
Mosquito
Mount Auburn
Pana
Prairieton
Ricks
Rosamond
South Fork
Stonington
Taylorville

Notable people

Jon Corzine, former governor of New Jersey, former resident of Willey Station.
Roy A. Corzine (1882-1957), Illinois state representative and farmer, was born in Stonington.
Harry Forrester, member of the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame and Quincy University Hall of Fame.
Brant Hansen, Christian radio host and author, graduated from high school in Assumption.
Tom Candy Ponting (1824-1916), cattleman who drove the first herd of cattle from Texas to New York City
Frank P. Sadler (1872–1931), Illinois state senator and lawyer, lived on a farm near Grove City.
John Wesley Fribley (1906–2002), state senate (1934–1952), born in Pana
Yvonne Craig (1937–2015) was born in Taylorville, Illinois. American actress renowned for her role as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the 1960s television series Batman.

Politics

Like most of German-settled Central Illinois, Christian County was solidly Democratic until Woodrow Wilson’s response to German defeat in World War I turned the county over to the Republican Party in its 1920, 1924 and 1928 landslides. The county remained Democratic-leaning through the rest of the twentieth century, only voting Republican in landslide wins. However, since 2000 Christian County has become reliably Republican.

References

;Specific

;General

United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS)
United States National Atlas