According to theUS Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 417 square miles (1,080 km2), of which 416.4 square miles (1,078 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) (0.1%) is water.[5]
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Tuscola have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −26 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.12 inches (54 mm) in February to 4.64 inches (118 mm) in July.[6]
Douglas County, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 19,980 people, 7,720 households, and 5,377 families living in the county.[22] The population density was 48.0 inhabitants per square mile (18.5/km2). There were 8,390 housing units at an average density of 20.1 per square mile (7.8/km2).[5] The racial makeup of the county was 95.7% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 2.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.1% of the population.[22] In terms of ancestry, 29.6% wereGerman, 12.6% wereAmerican, 12.1% wereEnglish, and 10.7% wereIrish.[23]
Of the 7,720 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.3% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 38.7 years.[22]
The median income for a household in the county was $46,941 and the median income for a family was $60,352. Males had a median income of $41,318 versus $28,731 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,438. About 7.1% of families and 10.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.[24]
Douglas is a strongly Republican county. Apart from a narrow plurality of thirty-two votes toBill Clinton in 1992, it has voted Republican in every Presidential election since 1968, and in all but five overall since 1880. Despite its long-time Republican leanings,Hillary Clinton's 2016 performance of gaining a mere 23.8 percent of the county's vote stands over six percent worse than any Democrat sincethe Civil War.
United States presidential election results for Douglas County, Illinois[25]