Edwards County Profile

Edwards County is located in rural southeast Illinois. It is part of the Greater Wabash region which is made up of seven counties: Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White County. Edwards County received its name from Secretary of War and Secretary of Treasury William H. Edwards. The county was formed in 1814 and settled by two Englishmen, George Flower and Morris Birkbeck. At the time of its formation, it encompassed approximately one-quarter of the state, but it was reduced to its present borders in 1821. In 1819, the town of Albion was laid out by Birkbeck and Flower but not incorporated until 1860. At 223 square miles, Edwards County is one of the smallest counties in Illinois, with five municipalities and 12 precincts.

The county is situated in the Southern Till Plain biome, which is characterized by high clay content soils. The majority of Wabash County is covered by cropland which is interspersed with deciduous forests and pasture.

The elevation in the county is highest in the middle third of the county and lowest along Bonpas Creek in the eastern part of the county. The hydrologic features of the county define many of the lowest elevation areas. Of the five municipalities, Browns lies at the lowest elevation due to its proximity to Bonpas Creek.

Edwards County lies on the dividing ridge of two watersheds – the Little Wabash Watershed and the Lower Wabash Watershed – which can be seen in its topography. A watershed, or drainage basin, is the land area that drains directly to a common stream, river, or lake. Several major streams flow through the county, including Bonpas Creek and the Little Wabash River. Crooked Creek and Village Creek also flow through the county. Edwards County has no major lakes.

The many creeks in Edwards County provide ample opportunities for fishing. Edwards County has an active Soil and Water Conservation District that works with agricultural and environmental stakeholders to protect and sustain natural resources in the county for future generations. education and conservation practices throughout the county. In 2006, severe erosion was noted on a bend in French Creek. In partnership with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the Edwards County Soil & Water Conservation District helped stabilize this bend using Stone Toe Protection, preventing further sloughing of the creek banks. [1]  Although there are no state-run natural areas in the county, Edwards County is home to 9 threatened or endangered species as of April 2023.

The climate of Illinois is continental with cold winters, warm and humid summers, and moderate spring and fall temperatures. Changes in temperature, humidity, cloudiness, and wind direction occur frequently. The southern Illinois climate region averages over 40 days above 90°F and 80 days below 32°F per year. Edwards County on average experiences its warmest temperatures in July and coldest temperatures in January. Rainfall peaks in the late spring, and the most snowfall occurs between December and February. Average annual rainfall is 48.73 inches; average annual snowfall is 8.9 inches.

Edwards County has a population of 6,071 and a population density of 27.3 inhabitants per square mile according to the 2022 U.S. Census population estimates.  Between 2010 and 2020, Edwards County’s population decreased by 7.1%. Bone Gap and West Salem experienced the most significant decrease in population. Only Browns has experienced a small increase in population, although the village’s population declined overall from 2000 to 2020. Overall, 700 people have left Edwards County over the last two decades.

Edwards County's population grew rapidly between 1830-1900 with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, bringing jobs and consequently people into the county. The county’s population reached its peak population of 10,345 in 1900. Population began an uneven decline, rebounding slightly in 1950. Since 1980, Edwards County has been steadily losing population.

A large portion of the county’s population is between the ages of 40-64 years. The median age of the county is 44.2 years, which is older than the state’s median age of 39.1 years. The small bulge in the pyramid between the ages of 0 and 19 could indicate future population growth.

Grayville and West Salem have the largest percentages of older populations; both are over 20%.  Nearly one quarter of the population in every jurisdiction is under 18 years old, indicating population growth across incorporated areas.

Edwards County’s racial composition is predominantly white with 2.5% identifying as two or more races.

The median household income in Edwards County is $55,833, with an unemployment rate of 8.0%. Over one quarter of Grayville’s population lives below the poverty line, the highest in the county. Grayville also has the largest percentage of people without health insurance at 16.3%.

Over 90% of Edwards County residents have attained at least a high school graduate level education and more than half of residents have had some college education. Grayville has the largest percentage of people without a high school diploma at 14%.

Over half of the housing in Edwards County is located in Albion and Grayville and over 30% is renter occupied. Mobile home occupancy is highest in Bone Gap and Browns. The median rent in Edwards County is $649, which is below the Illinois median rent of $1,097. The percentage of households without vehicle access is highest in Grayville at 10.3%.

Industry in Edwards County is dominated by manufacturing, followed by educational services and health care. Combined, these industries employ over half of Edwards County's population.

Champion Laboratories is the largest employer in the county, employing 1,215 people. Ataraxia and the Wabash Valley Service Company combine to employ 620 people, roughly half the number that Champion Laboratories employs. The Wabash Valley Service Company has two offices in Edwards County; one in Browns and one in Grayville.

Nearly 15% of Edwards County residents work in agriculture. Edwards County lies in the corn belt region and corn and soybeans dominate most of its land area. Approximately 65% of the total land in Edwards County is used for farmland. Of this farmland, 88% is used for cropland, 3% for pastureland, 6% for woodland, and 2% for other.

The number of farms decreased by 20% since 2012, while the total area of land farmed and average farm size increased by 5% and 31%, respectively. This indicates farm consolidation in Edwards County.