Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety58#1,306/3,096
Economy50#1,580/3,143
Housing71#927/3,140
Health71#898/3,144
Healthcare58#1,310/3,143
Environment31#2,155/3,108
Education46#1,684/3,144
Infrastructure60#1,250/3,144
Community69#985/3,144
Leisure & amenities80#616/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Whiteside County, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low1.9×
93/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Drug overdose deaths · low6.8 /100k
91/100Illinois 14.2 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional data
Cost of buying a home today · low19.2%
91/100Illinois 31.5%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Restaurants and bars · high15.5 /10k
89/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Firearm deaths · low8.7 /100k
89/100Illinois 10.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional data
Suicide rate · low16.2 /100k
89/100Illinois 11.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional data

Weaknesses

Hospital quality rating · low1.0
2/100Illinois 3.0United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Effective property tax rate · high1.74%
3/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New business applications · low7.7 /1k
9/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census Bureau
New homes permitted · low0.4 /1k
19/100Illinois 1.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high8.4 µg/m³
23/100Illinois 8.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Drinking water violations · high1
28/100Illinois 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
18% (2021) → 37% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+20 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
4.3 /1k (2020) → 7.7 /1k (2025)
+77%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
58.9% (2010 & 2021) → 74.2% (2022 & 2024)
+15 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Homicide rateImproving
6.7 /100k (2021) → 2.6 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−61%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Traffic deathsWorsening
11.1 /100k (2015-2019) → 17.5 /100k (2020-2024)
+58%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
15.2 /100k (2021) → 6.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−55%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Whiteside County, Illinois improved on 9 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 20 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved9

Household income+33%$50,880 → $67,711
New businesses+77%4.3 /1k → 7.7 /1k
Property crime−49%2,080 /100k → 1,055 /100k
Unemployment−3.3 points7.9% → 4.6%
Students / teacher−1.1×14.7× → 13.7×

Declined1

Traffic deaths+58%11.1 /100k → 17.5 /100k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Whiteside County, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.1 /10k2020	4.6 /10k2025	+12%	Within the margin of error	61%
Average commute time	19.0 min2015-2019	20.3 min2020-2024	+1.2 min	Within the margin of error	32%
Average weekly wage	$8312020	$1,0452025	+26%	Improved	62%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.2%2015-2019	20.5%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Improved	41%
Broadband subscriptions	79.7%2015-2019	86.7%2020-2024	+7 points	Improved	23%
Child poverty rate	16.8%2019	14.5%2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Distance to an airport	91 mi2020	91 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	13.2 /100k2020	6.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−48%	Within the margin of error	75%
Effective property tax rate	2.00%2015-2019	1.74%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	85%
Firearm deaths	8.6 /100k2020	8.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.2%	Within the margin of error	47%
Grocery stores	2.5 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+2.6%	Within the margin of error	65%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	−49%	Within the margin of error	10%
High school diploma or higher	90.6%2015-2019	91.9%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	1.9×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	91%
Homicide rate	4.5 /100k2020	2.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−42%	Within the margin of error	66%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,1522019	$65,8162024	+34%	Improved	63%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4352015-2019	0.4392020-2024	+0.004	Within the margin of error	46%
Median household income	$50,8802019	$67,7112024	+33%	Improved	85%
New business applications	4.3 /1k2020	7.7 /1k2025	+77%	Improved	82%
Pharmacies	1.6 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−20%	Within the margin of error	24%
Poverty rate	11.4%2019	10.0%2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Property crime rate	2,080 /100k2020	1,055 /100k2025	−49%	Improved	74%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	+1.5%	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent as share of income	26.1%2015-2019	27.8%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Rent-burdened households	41.4%2015-2019	45.5%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Restaurants and bars	13.7 /10k2020	15.5 /10k2025	+13%	Within the margin of error	78%
Students per teacher	14.7×2019	13.7×2024	−1.1×	Improved	64%
Suicide rate	15.0 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+8%	Within the margin of error	39%
Traffic deaths	11.1 /100k2015-2019	17.5 /100k2020-2024	+58%	Declined	11%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	4.6%2025	−3.3 points	Improved	70%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.8%2019	6.4%2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Violent crime rate	208 /100k2020	209 /100k2025	+0.5%	Within the margin of error	32%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3144 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Counties like Whiteside County, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Whiteside County, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Whiteside County, Illinois itself moved −0.5 points in standing on average over the same 32 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

54,947 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 30–39 men (+1.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

54,947 residents

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

White81%44,454
Black1.2%668
Hispanic or Latino13%7,319

Education

38,673 residents (±88)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma8.1%3,137
High school or GED37%14,481
Some college23%8,868

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

23,120 households (±396)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k16%3,814
$25k–50k22%5,069
$50k–75k17%3,815
$75k–100k13%3,000
$100k–150k20%4,574
$150k–200k7.6%1,766
$200k or more4.7%1,082

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+7.9 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

23,120 households (±396)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

Own77%17,786
Rent23%5,334

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

4,842 households (±430)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $75037%1,796
$750–1,00031%1,488
$1,000–1,50025%1,217

Home values

17,786 homes (±452)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k58%10,260
$150k–250k29%5,113
$250k–400k9.2%1,645

Age of homes

25,837 homes (±91)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later3.5%911
2000–20096.0%1,547
1980–199913%3,330

Size of homes

25,837 homes (±91)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio2.0%†519
1 bedroom7.8%2,012
2 bedrooms28%7,306

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

25,501 workers (±580)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone81%20,610
Carpool8.6%2,197
Public transit0.3%†83
Walk2.7%681
Bike0.9%†227
Work from home6.1%1,555
Other0.6%†148

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+3.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

23,946 workers (±661)

Whiteside County, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min46%11,026
15–29 min33%7,856
30–44 min11%2,530

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Sterling, IL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Whiteside County has 1,158 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.83× Illinois's), with 17,838 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,342. The Census Bureau also counts 2,956 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,158; 2,956 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 17,838
Average annual pay: $48,342; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Whiteside County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	89	16.3	0.89×About typical	1,330	$17,841	6
Specialty trade contractors	75	13.8	0.89×About typical	547	$70,148	263
Religious organizations	63	11.6	2.08×More than typical	232	$19,013	—
Ambulatory health care services	53	9.7	0.47×Fewer than typical	512	$51,176	88
Full-service restaurants	45	8.3	1.08×About typical	458	$19,221	—
Truck transportation	43	7.9	1.56×More than typical	488	$68,004	93
Automotive repair and maintenance	41	7.5	1.49×More than typical	196	$37,469	58
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	34	6.2	5.15×More than typical	203	$17,182	9
Limited-service restaurants	33	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	811	$16,732	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	31	5.7	1.30×More than typical	92	$53,359	46
Banks and credit unions	30	5.5	1.70×More than typical	342	$64,135	—
Construction of buildings	29	5.3	0.70×Fewer than typical	105	$46,448	76

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 54,480 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $104.4K on contracts performed in Whiteside County, Illinois: $1.93 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $104.4K; −88% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1.93; US $1,994
Sole-source: 95%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$99K95%
Defense Logistics Agency$4,5944.4%
Department of the Navy$8410.8%

Top recipients

M & M AVIATION SERVICES LTD$99K95%
CAVANAUGH GOVERNMENT GROUP, LLC$3,7803.6%
STERLING BUSINESS MACHINES INC$1,6551.6%
APEX PINNACLE CORP$00.0%
THE IFH GROUP, INC.$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.2MFY2017
970.3KFY2018
927.3KFY2019
5.2MFY2020
1.1MFY2021
1.4MFY2022
3MFY2023
1.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$99K95%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$3,7803.6%
Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$1,6551.6%

Largest awards

ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH SURVEY FLIGHTS WBI AND HIL$99K
M & M AVIATION SERVICES LTD· Whiteside County, IL· Professional services· Aug 7, 2026 – Aug 7, 2026· 1333MJ26P0037
8511764832!SCREW,CAP,HEXAGON H$3,780
CAVANAUGH GOVERNMENT GROUP, LLC· Whiteside County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 19, 2025 – Nov 19, 2025· SPE4A626P6647
E-A-RSOFT NEON TAPERED EARPLUG REFILL, C$814
STERLING BUSINESS MACHINES INC· Whiteside County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 19, 2025 – Nov 19, 2025· SPEWA626M0003
TONER,HI-CAP,C625,YL

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Explore contracts in Whiteside County, Illinois

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $378.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Whiteside County, Illinois: $6,995 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $378.6M; −10% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,995; US $12,955
Loan face value: $6.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$257.3M68%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$30.1M8.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$24.6M6.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$24.4M6.5%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$9.7M2.6%
93.600 · Head Start$8.4M2.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$7.4M2.0%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$5.6M1.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$11.6M3.1%
SPRINGFIELD, IL
TRI-COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES COUNCIL$8.4M2.2%
ROCK FALLS, IL
COUNTY OF WHITESIDE$2.1M0.6%
ROCK FALLS, IL
MODERN BEAUTY COMPANIES, INC.$884.8K0.2%
STERLING, IL
GREENCASTLE OF STERLING, INC$323.4K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$319.2M84%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$28M7.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$11.7M3.1%
Department of Transportation
Administration for Children and Families$8.4M2.2%
Department of Health and Human Services
Railroad Retirement Board

Assistance by fiscal year

341.4MFY2021
352.7MFY2022
364.7MFY2023
373.7MFY2024
422.7MFY2025
378.6MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Whiteside County, Illinois

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Whiteside County, Illinois compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Whiteside County, Illinois
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
FY2017	$20.95	$1,436
FY2018	$17.47	$1,552
FY2019	$16.80	$1,654
FY2020	$93.38	$1,880
FY2021	$20.10	$1,810
FY2022	$24.94	$1,917
FY2023	$55.67	$2,079
FY2024	$28.37	$2,047
FY2025	$15.65	$2,165
FY2026	$1.93 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
FY2017	$9.08	$93.28
FY2018	$1.43	$105
FY2019	$0	$128
FY2020	$65.42	$145
FY2021	$0	$117
FY2022

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$457	$5,748
FY2022	$536	$5,221
FY2023	$625	$5,364
FY2024	$587	$5,501
FY2025	$679	$5,732
FY2026	$413

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$129	$298
FY2022	$265	$357
FY2023	$319	$301
FY2024	$351	$319
FY2025	$526	$360
FY2026	$216

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$72.95	$239
FY2022	$80.94	$185
FY2023	$52.17	$229
FY2024	$10.80	$229
FY2025	$8.68	$249
FY2026	$7.42

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$247	$2,304
FY2022	$196	$2,197
FY2023	$165	$2,274
FY2024	$187	$2,267
FY2025	$127	$2,397
FY2026	$193

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
FY2021	$878	$1,186
FY2022	$271	$465
FY2023	$8.14	$76.52
FY2024	$5.02	$120
FY2025	$87.41	$148
FY2026	$23.24

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Whiteside County, Illinois
United States
Years with money loaded

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Whiteside County, Illinois and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	2.0%	2.0%
2015

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

No jump in federal money met the criteria in the years loaded, so there is no comparison for this place.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/17195

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Whiteside County, Illinois is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Eric SorensenD-IL-17 · 100% of residentsWith party 92%Missed 0.7%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Metro area

The metro or micro area Whiteside County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

Sterling, IL60Central county

Cities and towns in Whiteside County

Places whose residents live mostly in Whiteside County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/17195

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	−5.2%	−4.2%
2015	−0.9%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.2%	+3.3%
2018	+9.4%	+6.8%
2019	+11.9%	+10.5%
2020	+20.3%	+19.4%
2021	+29.1%	+26.1%
2022	+34.9%	+30.6%
2023	+41.7%	+35.0%
2024	+50.8%	+41.0%
2025	+51.2%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	−1.5%	−5.5%
2015	−1.2%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.0%	+4.1%
2018	+5.8%	+8.9%
2019	+8.8%	+13.5%
2020	+20.4%	+20.8%
2021	+30.3%	+32.1%
2022	+31.7%	+35.4%
2023	+38.7%	+42.9%
2024	+43.8%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	0.3/1k	3.3/1k
2015	0.5/1k	3.7/1k
2016	0.3/1k	3.7/1k
2017	1.2/1k	3.9/1k
2018	0.5/1k	4.1/1k
2019	0.3/1k	4.2/1k
2020	0.4/1k	4.4/1k
2021	0.4/1k	5.2/1k
2022	0.5/1k	5.0/1k
2023	0.5/1k	4.5/1k
2024	0.5/1k	4.3/1k
2025	0.4/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	−3.2%	−6.9%
2015	−11.8%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+5.3%	+4.7%
2018	+10.9%	+7.5%
2019	−1.3%	+14.0%
2020	+24.9%	+16.9%
2021	+10.2%	+21.0%
2022	+20.3%	+29.7%
2023	+33.1%	+34.9%
2024	+31.3%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	12.2%	15.5%
2015	12.8%	14.7%
2016	11.9%	14.0%
2017	12.9%	13.4%
2018	10.5%	13.1%
2019	11.4%	12.3%
2020	9.1%	11.9%
2021	13.2%	12.8%
2022	12.9%	12.6%
2023	11.4%	12.5%
2024	10.0%	12.1%

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	6.9%	6.2%
2015	6.1%	5.3%
2016	5.8%	4.9%
2017	4.9%	4.4%
2018	4.6%	3.9%
2019	4.2%	3.7%
2020	7.9%	8.1%
2021	5.0%	5.4%
2022	4.2%	3.7%
2023	4.7%	3.6%
2024	4.7%	4.0%
2025	4.6%	4.3%

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	−1.8% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	+0.5% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	−0.6% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	−9.8% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+2.9% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+10.8% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+14.4% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+23.5% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+28.6% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+34.3% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+41.9% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	8.6%	13.5%
2015	6.4%	10.9%
2016	5.8%	10.0%
2017	6.0%	10.2%
2018	6.3%	10.4%
2019	6.8%	10.8%
2020	7.6%	10.4%
2021	6.8%	10.2%
2022	5.9%	9.5%
2023	5.9%	9.5%
2024	6.4%	9.8%

Calendar years	Whiteside County, Illinois	United States
2014	3.6/1k	8.5/1k
2015	3.1/1k	8.7/1k
2016	3.2/1k	9.1/1k
2017	3.7/1k	9.8/1k
2018	3.7/1k	10.7/1k
2019	4.1/1k	10.6/1k
2020	4.3/1k	13.1/1k
2021	5.7/1k	16.2/1k
2022	6.1/1k	15.1/1k
2023	7.3/1k	16.2/1k
2024	6.6/1k	15.4/1k
2025	7.7/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved9

Declined1

Counties like Whiteside County, Illinois five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Whiteside County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved9

Declined1

Household income

House

Senate

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought