City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Gibson City, IL

Gibson City's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

3,609
Residents
$47,104
Median income
$138,400
Median home
$1,063
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Gibson City.

Place dossier plate

Sheet IL-GIBSON-CITY-IL · Gibson City, IL 3,609 pop · income 15th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 3,609
  • INC-MID $47,104
  • COL-PAR 100.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 15th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Trenton
  • HOME-LOW $138,400
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Trenton, NJ ( $2 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Gibson City

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Gibson City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Gibson City on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 3,609.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $47,104. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Gibson City - the verdict

Nationally, Gibson City sits in the 15th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

15th
percentile, household income
23rd
percentile, home value
18th
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: Gibson City, IL

Illinois's Gibson City is a small town, with 3,609 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Gibson City report a median income of $47,104 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.5%. Home values in Gibson City run a median of $138,400, and the median resident age is 44.7 years. 15.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 57.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier. NOAA puts Gibson City's yearly average temperature at 50.7°F with 37.7 inches of precipitation per year and 18.3 inches of snowfall.

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,063 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Illinois's average monthly utility costs around $240 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 out of 100 (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Gibson City's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to population change to housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Gibson City, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

What does the education layer cover for Gibson City?

The NCES join finds 3 public schools within the city match. 15.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.

See how the family ranking is built →

2. Population change

Is Gibson City growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -98 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 3

How far does income reach against housing in Gibson City?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 4

Which cities make useful reference points for Gibson City?

Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Forsyth (3,656 residents, $113,456 income); Tolono (3,546 residents, $79,333 income); Fairbury (3,683 residents, $65,215 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Melrose, MN (3,608 residents); Jasper, TN (3,610 residents); Delshire, OH (3,607 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Gibson City?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 74.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
7.2%
Drive alone
74.3%

City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,688 workers age 16+.

Compare commute patterns →

Climate and hazard context

What physical conditions frame life in Gibson City?

NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 50.7°F, with 37.7 inches of precipitation and 18.3 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Illinois is 54.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.

The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.

Mean temperature
50.7°F
Annual precipitation
37.7 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
54.5

NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.

Read the source boundaries →

Population

3,609 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$47,104 /yr

Low income · poverty 6.5% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

City profile score · Gibson City, IL

33/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate C
6.5%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living D
100.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
15.1%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$47,104

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Gibson City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income. Poverty rateCost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold income 33 F
Gibson City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 56/100 (C) · 6.5%
  • Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 20/100 (F) · 15.1%
  • Household income: 16/100 (F) · $47,104

How does Gibson City compare to other US cities?

Here's how Gibson City stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 15% higher than other cities
Home value 23% pricier than other cities
Median rent 18% 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

Each percentile compares Gibson City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Illinois only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Illinois-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Gibson City near the bottom of Illinois's cities

Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Gibson City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Gibson City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1,154 of 1,311
12th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#550 of 1,315
58th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#722 of 1,335
45th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#817 of 1,336
38th percentile in Illinois
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Illinois only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

15thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

15th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Gibson City's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$138,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 77% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Gibson City $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Gibson City's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.9×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,352 of 15,516
More affordable than 59% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,415 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.9×, Gibson City sits in the affordable band: national rank #6,352 of 15,516 and #5,415 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$47,104 Gibson City, IL median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Gibson City, IL Gibson City, IL's median household income ($47,104) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Gibson City, IL-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Gibson City, IL median $47,104/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Gibson City, IL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Gibson City, IL.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
3,609
Median Income
$47,104
Median Home Value
$138,400
Median Age
44.7
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Labor force participation
57.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.1%

Climate

Avg Temperature
50.7°F
Annual Precipitation
37.7"
Annual Snowfall
18.3"

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
3,350 residents3,400 residents3,450 residents3,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 3,469 residents 3,371 residents ▼ -2.8%
Gibson City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 3,469 residents
2021 3,462 residents
2022 3,400 residents
2023 3,399 residents
2024 3,405 residents
2025 3,371 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 7
2020 4
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.3%
Carpool
12.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.3%
Work from Home
7.2%
Other
2.8%

Based on 1,688 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Illinois statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $240

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Illinois at $240 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $50 ).

These are Illinois statewide averages, not a meter reading for Gibson City. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Illinois's BEA cost-of-living index is 100.0 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Gibson City is $1,063/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Illinois statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Illinois statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Gibson City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Gibson City compares to similar-size Illinois cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Gibson City (this city) 3,609 $47,104
Forsyth 3,656 $113,456
Tolono 3,546 $79,333
Fairbury 3,683 $65,215
NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every 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.

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