2024+1.74%
9,166Employed residents
Resources
Data, Tools & Community Insight
Public planning materials, economic and workforce snapshots, community findings, and resources supporting regional opportunity.
Community intelligence
Understand Our Community’s Position
Explore the organization landscape, workforce readiness, economic activity, employment base, wages, and capacity shaping our region.
Fayette County profile
Regional Data at a Glance
A focused entry point to economic activity, employment, housing, mobility, agriculture, and development capacity.
2024+6.71%
$60,944Median household income
2024+13.9%
$130,700Median property value
2024+0.4 pt
80.6%Homeownership
Additional perspective
Economic Pulse
Resident employment9.17K+1.74% year over year
Employment grew from approximately 9.01K residents in 2023 to 9.17K in 2024.
Resident employment profile
Retail trade1,310
Manufacturing931
Other represented industries6,925
Additional source: Data USA Fayette County profile, primarily drawing on U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. Resident-employment measures differ from employer-location job counts elsewhere on this page.
Live · Work · Play
More Room for Life
Attainable housing, a competitive residential tax position, and an exceptional concentration of community assets make our region easier to call home—and easier to choose for the long term.
Regional comparison
Lower Property Taxes Paid
Median annual property taxes paid on owner-occupied housing, shown in dollars.
Fayette County$1,894
1.27% effective rate
Montgomery County$1,887
1.32% effective rate
Shelby County$2,063
1.34% effective rate
Bond County$2,747
1.78% effective rate
Effingham County$2,823
1.37% effective rate
Madison County$3,319
1.79% effective rate
Clinton County$3,524
1.64% effective rate
St. Clair County$3,665
1.83% effective rate
Sources: Tax Foundation county property-tax table, calculated from U.S. Census Bureau ACS datasets B25082 and B25090; and U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Figures are 2024 five-year estimates unless otherwise noted. Individual tax bills vary by parcel and taxing district.
Regional organization landscape
A Broad Base for Collaboration
An aggregate view of organizations mapped for community outreach, partnership development, and regional planning.
Snapshot · Aug. 8, 2026
403Unique organizations mapped
29Industry labels represented
30Nonprofit role tags
26Development role tags
Explore the inventory
Organization mix by sector
Food service, lodging & hospitality · 45 organizations
Hospitality, dining, lodging, and related visitor-serving organizations.
Scope: This aggregate planning inventory supports outreach and collaboration; it is not a census of every organization operating in Fayette County.
Official economic indicators
Economic & Workforce Capacity
A source-backed view of Fayette County’s economic output, employer base, labor market, agriculture, education, and connectivity.
$770.4MCounty GDP2024
4,907Covered employmentQ4 2025
477Employer establishments2023
$183.9MAnnual payroll2023
$247.3MAgricultural sales2022
4.7%Unemployment rateJune 2026
Explore the indicators
Market activity
Retail sales · $330.9M
Total retail sales reported for 2022.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BEA via the Federal Reserve, USDA Census of Agriculture, and Illinois IDES. Reporting periods differ; market-activity measures overlap and should not be added together.
Economic deep dive
A Broader View of Regional Capacity
Separate views preserve the meaning of each measure while making movement, scale, affordability, and investment easier to compare.
Gross domestic product
How Output Is Changing
Current-dollar GDP, 2023 compared with 2024. Dollars shown in millions.
Total county GDP−1.6%
2023$782.8M
2024$770.4M
Goods-producing−14.3%
2023$212.8M
2024$182.3M
Services-producing+2.1%
2023$467.5M
2024$477.2M
Government+8.2%
2023$102.4M
2024$110.9M
Source: U.S. BEA via FRED. Percent changes calculated from published current-dollar values.
Business & employment base
The Organizations Behind the Economy
477Employer establishments2023 CBP
1,382Nonemployer establishments2023
4,556Employer jobs2023 CBP
$183.9MAnnual payroll2023
+4.5%Employment change2022–2023
$955Average weekly wageQ4 2025 QCEW
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. BLS. Census County Business Patterns and BLS QCEW use different coverage definitions and periods.
Housing & real estate
Homes, Costs & Residential Capacity
A practical view of residential inventory, tenure, costs, household patterns, and recent construction activity.
Owner-occupied80.6%
Owner occupiedRenter occupied 19.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Housing-unit estimates are for July 2025; other housing measures are 2020–2024 ACS estimates.
8,818Housing unitsJuly 2025
7,814Households2020–2024
$130,700Median owner value2020–2024
$798Median gross rent2020–2024
$1,192Owner cost—with mortgageMonthly median
$500Owner cost—without mortgageMonthly median
2.60Persons per household2020–2024
91.3%Same home one year agoResident stability
60.5%Owners with a mortgage2024
Housing-to-household context1.13 units
Housing units per household, using mixed-period headline estimates; directional context only.
Home value / income2.14×
Median owner value divided by median household income ($60,944).
Annualized median rent$9,576
Twelve months of median gross rent; utilities included where paid by renter.
Population & households
Population Milestones
Decennial counts and annual estimates show the size of the resident base.
22,1402010
21,4882020
21,1572024
20,7902025
20.6%Age 65 and older
20.7%Under age 18
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Household economics
Income, Affordability & Access
$60,944Median household income
$32,197Per-capita income
15.3%Residents in poverty
25.5 minMean commute
83.9%Broadband subscription
90.1%Households with a computer
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020–2024 estimates.
Agricultural economy
Land, Production & Farm Economics
$247.3MProducts sold · 2022
Change from 2017 to 2022
Farms
-9%
Land in farms
-6%
Average farm size
+4%
Products sold
+50%
Farm-related income
+16%
Production expenses
+42%
Net cash farm income
+49%
Leading crops by acreage
Soybeans131,159
Corn101,614
Wheat11,451
Hay6,702
Vegetables365
1,122Farms
328,888Farm acres
293Average acres
$91.2MNet cash income
93%Family farms
69%Internet access
Crops · 89%Livestock · 11%
Source: 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, Fayette County profile.
Regional opportunity
Connect the Data to Our Opportunity
See how strategic location, infrastructure investment, community assets, quality of life, and coordinated leadership position our region for future growth.
Resource Library
Public-facing materials are organized here; internal bylaws and governance documents are not included.
Community Survey Findings
A visual summary of recent community input.
View resource
VCAA Take-Home Flyer
An overview of VCAA’s vision, focus, and operating approach.
View resourceKickoff Panel Press Release
Public release covering VCAA’s February 2026 relaunch.
View resourceMembership Information
Learn why membership matters and begin a conversation about participating.
Learn moreRural MAPPING Program FAQ
Program overview, process, participation expectations, and answers from the Rural MAPPING facilitator.
View resourceVandalia Receives $3 Million Site Readiness Award
The State of Illinois awarded the City of Vandalia $3 million for road and water improvements serving 97 acres at Vandalia Industrial Park—advancing site readiness for future industrial investment and job opportunities.
Learn more