Population
149 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Illinois
City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023
Gilson, IL
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Gilson - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 149
- Residents
- $66,719
- Median income
- $916
- Median rent (state)
Gilson - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Gilson lands in the 45th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 45th
- 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: Gilson, IL
149 people live in Gilson, Illinois - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Gilson households earn a median of $66,719 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. The median resident age is 61.6 years. About 12.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Illinois at 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $916 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Gilson report an average commute of 25.3 minutes, with 85.0% driving alone and 15.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 57.2 out of 100 (Moderate).
Median Household Income
$66,719 /yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.0 (US=100)
Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
How does Gilson compare to other US cities?
Gilson measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income 45% 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 Gilson'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.
45th 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+) 12.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
149
Median Income
$66,719
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
61.6
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
59.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
12.9%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
25.3 minutes
Drive Alone
85.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
15.0%
Based on 80 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 Gilson 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
57.2 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Illinois
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Gilson's 149 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Gilson's $66,719 (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 Gilson 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 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Gilson, IL?
What is the population of Gilson, IL? +
The population of Gilson, IL stands at 149 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Gilson, IL? +
Gilson households earn a median of $66,719 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Gilson? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Gilson; 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, 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 PlainCitiesEvery 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.