Total enrollment
8,717
-519 (-6%) vs SY 2017-18
Adams County
Illinois · Public K-12
Adams County sits inside Illinois and runs 23 public K-12 schools, enrolling about 8,717 students. Quincy SD 172 alone accounts for 6,264 of those students. That works out to 11 elementary, 3 middle, and 9 high schools.
7-year change in Adams County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
19
-6 (-24%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
80%
was 84%
% Hispanic
4%
was 2%
% Black
6%
was 7%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
64,754
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
23
6 districts
Enrollment
8,717
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$66,220
Below Illinois avg
Free/reduced lunch
55.7%
Above Illinois avg
Elementary
11
4,289 students
Middle
3
1,716 students
High
9
2,712 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Quincy SD 172
6,264 students · 6 districts in Adams County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Adams County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
27.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
8.7%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.9%
civilian labor
Median age
41
22.5% under 18
Test scores in Adams County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 14 schools ranked. Illinois state average: 51.0%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Unity Middle School· 68.7%
- Liberty High School· 63.9%
- Central Elementary School· 56.3%
- Liberty Elementary School· 54.5%
- Unity Elementary School· 53.2%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Seymour High School· 33.3%
- Dr. Abby Fox Rooney Elem Sch· 36.3%
- Quincy Jr High School· 36.3%
- Thomas S Baldwin Elem Sch· 42.3%
- Colonel George Iles Elem Sch· 44.8%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy Sr High School | Quincy | High | 09-12 | 1,847 | · |
| Quincy Jr High School | Quincy | Middle | 06-08 | 1,295 | · |
| Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School | Quincy | Elementary | KG-05 | 588 | · |
| Thomas S Baldwin Elem Sch | Quincy | Elementary | KG-05 | 564 | · |
| Colonel George Iles Elem Sch | Quincy | Elementary | KG-05 | 535 | · |
| Sarah Atwater Denman Elem | Quincy | Elementary | KG-05 | 501 | · |
| Dr. Abby Fox Rooney Elem Sch | Quincy | Elementary | KG-05 | 500 | · |
| Early Childhood | Quincy | Elementary | PK-KG | 434 | · |
| Liberty Elementary School | Liberty | Elementary | PK-06 | 336 | · |
| Unity Elementary School | Mendon | Elementary | PK-04 | 296 | · |
| Liberty High School | Liberty | High | 07-12 | 253 | · |
| Seymour Elementary School | Payson | Elementary | PK-06 | 233 | · |
| Central Elementary School | Camp Point | Elementary | 01-04 | 227 | · |
| Central Junior High School | Camp Point | Middle | 05-08 | 221 | · |
| Central High School | Camp Point | High | 09-12 | 220 | · |
| Seymour High School | Payson | High | 07-12 | 216 | · |
| Unity Middle School | Mendon | Middle | 05-08 | 200 | · |
| Unity High School | Mendon | High | 09-12 | 176 | · |
| Central Early Childhood | Golden | Elementary | PK-KG | 75 | · |
| Academic Behavior&Community Acad | Quincy | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| Adams Co Juvenile Detention Cntr | Quincy | High | 05-12 | 0 | · |
| Adams County RSSP | Quincy | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| Quincy Area Voc Ctr | Quincy | High | 10-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Adams County
About Adams County
Adams County is a moderately sized Illinois county of about 64,754 residents, home to 23 public schools and roughly 8,717 students.
Stepping back, census numbers show median household income runs near $66,220, roughly 28% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate is around 9%. That income level is 6% noticeably below the Illinois median.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Adams County is made up of 11 elementary schools (4,289 students), 3 middle schools (1,716), and 9 high schools (2,712).
The largest single district in Adams County is Quincy SD 172, which alone enrolls about 6,264 students.
Over the past 7-year window. Total public-school enrollment in Adams County has shrank 6% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 9,236 students to 8,717. Over that span, Adams County lost 6 schools, going from 25 to 19. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 84% to 80% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Adams County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Adams County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data