Population
341 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Illinois
City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023
Buncombe, IL
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Buncombe - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 341
- Residents
- $62,500
- Median income
- $916
- Median rent (state)
Buncombe - the verdict
Nationally, Buncombe sits in the 39th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
- 39th
- percentile, household income
- 5th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Buncombe, IL
Illinois's Buncombe is a small town, with 341 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $62,500 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.6%. The median resident age is 26.2 years. Educational attainment runs 11.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 52.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The city is served by 2 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.
Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $916 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 51.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
Median Household Income
$62,500 /yr
Poverty 11.6%
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.0 (US=100)
Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
How does Buncombe compare to other US cities?
Here's how Buncombe stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 39% higher than other cities
Median rent 5% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Buncombe's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Illinois, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
39th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 52.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
341
Median Income
$62,500
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
26.2
Poverty Rate
11.6%
Labor force participation
52.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.7%
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
94.4%
Carpool
2.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
0.0%
Other
2.4%
Based on 124 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Illinois - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$240
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Illinois state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Illinois state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Buncombe sits in
Cost of Living Index
100.0
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$916/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
51.1 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Illinois
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Buncombe's 341 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Buncombe's $62,500 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Buncombe compares to nearby Illinois cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IL NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Buncombe, IL?
What is the population of Buncombe, IL? +
The population of Buncombe, IL stands at 341 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Buncombe, IL? +
The median household income in Buncombe is $62,500 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Buncombe? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Buncombe; the closest available measure is the Illinois state average, a cost of living index of 100.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Illinois vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities EditorialEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.