City · Illinois
Sparta, Illinois
Sparta, city, in Randolph County, Illinois. Sparta had 4,022 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 4,095 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,068 (±16). GEOID 1771448.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,022
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 4,095 · ACS 2020-2024: 4,068 ±16
Median household income
$52,188
±$16,315 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$111,200
±$11,979 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$762
±$61 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Sparta and what county is it in?
Sparta is a city in Randolph County, Illinois. It covers 11.2 square miles of land, 367 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Sparta, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,022 people lived in Sparta on July 1, 2025, down 1.6% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 4,095 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 4,068 (±16).
| Measure | Sparta | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,068 ±16 | 30,058 | −283 |
| Households | 1,932 ±130 | 11,945 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.06 ±0.14 | 2.25 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,221 ±167 | 13,422 | no clear change |
Sparta's population since 2000
From 4,486 in 2000 to 4,022 in 2025: down 10.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sparta as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Sparta?
The median resident of Sparta is 41.4 years old; 23.0% are under 18 and 25.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 13.3%.
| Measure | Sparta | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.4 ±4.3 | 43.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.0% ±3.8 pts | 20.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.4% ±3.6 pts | 21.3% | – |
| Male | 45.1% ±3.9 pts | 53.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.0% ±1.4 pts | 3.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 81.1% ±4.1 pts | 85.1% | +11.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 13.3% ±4.3 pts | 8.2% | −8.3 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±2.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.3% ±3.4 pts | 7.9% | – |
| With a disability | 28.8% ±5.8 pts | 22.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.5% ±2.3 pts | 5.3% | −4.8 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.2% ±3.1 pts | 87.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.7% ±5.9 pts | 15.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.5% ±2.3 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.1% ±4.5 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.3% ±1.9 pts | 1.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Sparta earn?
Half of Sparta's 1,932 households earn less than $52,188 a year (±$16,315), against $68,131 in Randolph County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $61,231 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 24.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Sparta | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,188 ±$16,315 | $68,131 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,215 ±$8,984 | $82,525 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,039 ±$3,941 | $32,715 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 24.4% ±8.3 pts | 14.6% | +13.7 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 42.7% ±21.3 pts | 19.5% | +24.7 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 25.3% ±6.7 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.7% ±4.6 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.7% ±5.3 pts | 86.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Sparta?
Owners occupy 57.6% of Sparta's occupied homes and renters 42.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $111,200 by its owner (±$11,979). The median renter pays $762 a month including utilities, and 43.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Sparta | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $111,200 ±$11,979 | $135,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $762 ±$61 | $780 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.1% ±13.0 pts | 32.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,360 ±$180 | $1,308 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.6% ±8.3 pts | 76.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.4% ±8.3 pts | 23.4% | – |
| Housing units | 2,221 ±167 | 13,422 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 8.9% ±6.2 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.3% ±8.7 pts | 74.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 16.3% ±6.5 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.5% ±5.1 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 13.9% ±5.6 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 16.3% ±6.9 pts | 6.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Sparta building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Sparta in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.2 per 1,000 residents against 1.5 across Illinois.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Sparta work and get to work?
80.2% of Sparta's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 18.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.3%.
| Measure | Sparta | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.3% ±6.3 pts | 53.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% ±3.4 pts | 5.0% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 80.2% ±7.9 pts | 81.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.7% ±6.1 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.9% ±2.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.5% ±1.5 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.7 min ±3.9 | 23.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Sparta?
1 census tract lies mostly in Sparta, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9506Randolph County | 4,175 | $53,750 |
| Tract 9507Randolph County | 2,206 | $56,273 |
| Tract 9505Randolph County | 1,936 | $67,917 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Sparta) · Census block assignment files
How does Sparta compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sparta is the 5,493rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 369th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Sparta ranks 1,252nd of 1,380 places in Illinois with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 369th | 1,294 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 607th | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 823rd | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 1,252nd | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 999th | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 1,087th | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 1,067th | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 61st | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 956th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 653rd | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,306th | 1,382 |
| Travel time to work | 1,216th | 1,382 |
Sparta's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Sparta with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Sparta?
15 of the 57 figures for Sparta on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Sparta are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Sparta.