| County: | Richland County |
| State: | Illinois |
| Founded: | February 24, 1841 |
| Seat Wl: | Olney |
| Largest City Wl: | Olney |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 362 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 356 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 1.9 |
| Area Percentage: | 0.5 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 15813 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Ex Image: | Richland County Courthouse in Olney.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Richland County Courthouse in Olney |
| District: | 12th |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| Population Est: | 15796 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 15,813.[1] Its county seat is Olney.[2] [3]
Richland County was established in 1841 out of portions of East part of Clay and West part of Lawrence counties.[4] It was named for Richland County, Ohio, where many of the early settlers migrated from.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land[5] and (0.5%) is water.
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Olney have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in February 1951 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in May.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,233 people, 6,726 households, and 4,438 families residing in the county.[6] By 2020, the population had decreased to 15,813 people. The 2010 population density was, which decreased to in the 2020 census. In 2010, there were 7,513 housing units, compared to 7,364 in 2020, at an average density of .[7] The 2010 racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white (94.2%, 2020), 0.7% Asian (0.8%, 2020), 0.5% black or African American (same, 2020), 0.2% American Indian (same, 2020), 0.4% (0.5%, 2020) from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races (3.7%, 2020). Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% (1.7%, 2020) of the population.[6] In terms of ancestry, 29.6% were German, 11.7% were American, 11.4% were English, and 9.2% were Irish.[8]
Of the 6,726 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.0% were non-families, and 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 42.1 years.[6]
The median income for a household in the county was $41,917 and the median income for a family was $53,853. Males had a median income of $41,058 versus $31,296 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,874. About 9.5% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.[9] Richland is the top ranked most affordable county in Illinois to buy a car and is on average $932 less expensive than other Illinois counties.[10]
Richland County is divided into nine townships:
| Office | Office holder | |
|---|---|---|
| County Board Chairman | Dennis Graves (R) | |
| County Board Vice Chairman | Morgan Henton (R) | |
| County Board Member - District 1 | Brian VanBlaricum (R) | |
| County Board Member - District 2 | Dennis Graves (R) | |
| County Board Member - District 3 | Shawn Rose (R) | |
| County Board Member - District 4 | Cynthia Given (D) | |
| County Board Member - District 5 | Morgan Henton (R) | |
| County Board Member - District 6 | Travis Paddock (R) | |
| County Board Member - District 7 | Steve Schonert (R) | |
| County Clerk | Amanda Troyer (R) | |
| County Circuit Clerk | Zach Holder (R) | |
| County Treasurer | Mike Hahn (R) | |
| County Assessor | Tim Hahn (R) | |
| Coroner | Steve Patterson (R) | |
| States Attorney | John Clark (R) | |
| County Sheriff | Andy Hires (R) |