Moultrie County, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Moultrie County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Illinois
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 14,846, which is an increase of 3.9% from 14,287 in 2000. Its county seat
is Sullivan
. The name is pronounced as in "mole tree", unlike the pronunciation of its namesake.
. It is named for South Carolina
General, and later Governor, William Moultrie
. General Moultrie defended Sullivan's Island, South Carolina from British attack in 1776. The site was later renamed Fort Moultrie. Nearby Jasper County
was named for Sgt. William Jasper
, another hero of the defense of Sullivan's Island.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 14,287 people, 5,405 households, and 3,978 families residing in the county. The population density
was 43 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 5,743 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.91% White
, 0.20% Black
or African American
, 0.17% Native American
, 0.10% Asian
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
, 0.11% from other races
, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.48% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 28.8% were of German
, 27.2% American
, 11.4% English
and 10.1% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 5,405 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.30% were married couples
living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,084, and the median income for a family was $46,655. Males had a median income of $35,470 versus $21,168 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $18,562. About 5.30% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 14,846, which is an increase of 3.9% from 14,287 in 2000. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Sullivan
Sullivan, Illinois
Sullivan is a city in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,326 at the 2000 census, and 4,396 in 2009. It is the county seat of Moultrie County...
. The name is pronounced as in "mole tree", unlike the pronunciation of its namesake.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 344.48 square miles (892.2 km²), of which 335.94 square miles (870.1 km²) (or 97.52%) is land and 8.53 square miles (22.1 km²) (or 2.48%) is water.Major highways
U.S. Highway 36
Adjacent counties
- Piatt CountyPiatt County, IllinoisPiatt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 16,729, which is an increase of 2.2% from 16,365 in 2000...
- north - Douglas County - east
- Coles CountyColes County, IllinoisColes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University....
- east - Shelby County - south
- Macon County - northwest
History
Moultrie County was formed in 1843 out of Shelby and Coles CountiesColes County, Illinois
Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University....
. It is named for South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
General, and later Governor, William Moultrie
William Moultrie
William Moultrie was a general from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War.He was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He fought in the Anglo-Cherokee War and served in the colonial assembly before the advent of the American Revolution....
. General Moultrie defended Sullivan's Island, South Carolina from British attack in 1776. The site was later renamed Fort Moultrie. Nearby Jasper County
Jasper County, Illinois
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was named for Sgt. William Jasper
William Jasper
William Jasper was a noted American soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment.Jasper distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie on June 28, 1776...
, another hero of the defense of Sullivan's Island.
Demographics
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,287 people, 5,405 households, and 3,978 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 43 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 5,743 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.91% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.20% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.17% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.10% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.11% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.48% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 28.8% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 27.2% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 11.4% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and 10.1% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 5,405 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.30% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,084, and the median income for a family was $46,655. Males had a median income of $35,470 versus $21,168 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $18,562. About 5.30% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- AllenvilleAllenville, IllinoisAllenville is a village in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 154 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Allenville is located at ....
- BethanyBethany, IllinoisBethany is a village in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,287 at the 2000 census, and 1,225 at a 2009 estimate.-Geography:Bethany is located at ....
- Dalton CityDalton City, IllinoisDalton City is a village in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. It is in the center of the state near the Macon County line, located along Route 121 at its intersection with Route 128 and between the larger villages of Bethany and Mount Zion...
- GaysGays, IllinoisGays is a village in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 259 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gays is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
- LovingtonLovington, IllinoisLovington is a village in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,222 at the 2000 census, and 1,167 at a 2009 estimate.-Geography:Lovington is located at ....
- SullivanSullivan, IllinoisSullivan is a city in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,326 at the 2000 census, and 4,396 in 2009. It is the county seat of Moultrie County...
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Sullivan have ranged from a low of 19 °F (-7.2 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (30.6 °C) in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in January 1915 and a record high of 111 °F (43.9 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.89 inches (4.8 cm) in February to 4.05 inches (10.3 cm) in June.See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Moultrie County