City · Illinois
Hamilton, Illinois
Hamilton, city, in Hancock County, Illinois. Hamilton had 2,624 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,753 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,714 (±149). GEOID 1732434.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,624
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,753 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,714 ±149
Median household income
$56,895
±$9,459 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$114,100
±$8,953 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$941
±$135 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Hamilton and what county is it in?
Hamilton is a city in Hancock County, Illinois. It covers 3.6 square miles of land, 773 residents per square mile in 2020.
Hamilton lies entirely within Montebello Township, a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Hamilton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,624 people lived in Hamilton on July 1, 2025, down 4.9% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 2,753 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,714 (±149).
| Measure | Hamilton | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,714 ±149 | 17,281 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,143 ±97 | 7,613 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.32 ±0.19 | 2.23 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,248 ±107 | 8,938 | no clear change |
Hamilton's population since 2000
From 3,029 in 2000 to 2,624 in 2025: down 13.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hamilton 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 Hamilton?
The median resident of Hamilton is 39.9 years old; 26.5% are under 18 and 20.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.1%.
| Measure | Hamilton | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.9 ±2.3 | 46.9 | −4.8 |
| Under 18 years | 26.5% ±3.9 pts | 21.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.0% ±3.1 pts | 24.6% | – |
| Male | 51.4% ±3.5 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.1% ±1.7 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.9% ±2.6 pts | 94.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±0.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.3% ±1.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.8% ±1.5 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.8% ±3.3 pts | 7.1% | – |
| With a disability | 19.5% ±4.0 pts | 22.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.5% ±4.6 pts | 5.7% | +5.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.9% ±2.8 pts | 93.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 24.2% ±6.1 pts | 25.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.4% ±4.3 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.7% ±6.4 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 5.1% ±3.1 pts | 2.6% | – |
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 Hamilton earn?
Half of Hamilton's 1,143 households earn less than $56,895 a year (±$9,459), against $65,865 in Hancock County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $61,642 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 14.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Hamilton | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,895 ±$9,459 | $65,865 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $82,666 ±$25,462 | $83,824 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,101 ±$9,210 | $37,092 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.2% ±6.0 pts | 12.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.8% ±11.1 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.1% ±6.3 pts | 13.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.7% ±4.7 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.6% ±4.6 pts | 82.4% | – |
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 Hamilton?
Owners occupy 67.2% of Hamilton's occupied homes and renters 32.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $114,100 by its owner (±$8,953). The median renter pays $941 a month including utilities, and 44.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Hamilton | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $114,100 ±$8,953 | $113,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $941 ±$135 | $782 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.4% ±18.0 pts | 34.6% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,376 ±$86 | $1,134 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 67.2% ±9.5 pts | 81.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 32.8% ±9.5 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Housing units | 1,248 ±107 | 8,938 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.7% ±6.9 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.7% ±10.3 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.0% ±8.0 pts | 82.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.7% ±4.2 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.8% ±3.5 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 25.4% ±8.1 pts | 31.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.9% ±4.6 pts | 5.4% | – |
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 Hamilton building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Hamilton in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Hamilton work and get to work?
83.4% of Hamilton's workers drive alone and 10.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.5 minutes.
| Measure | Hamilton | Hancock County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.6% ±5.9 pts | 58.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% ±2.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.4% ±7.6 pts | 84.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.9% ±3.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.2% ±6.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.5 min ±4.1 | 24.1 min | +5.2 min |
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 Hamilton?
1 census tract lies mostly in Hamilton, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9541Hancock County | 3,258 | $62,742 |
| Tract 9542Hancock County | 2,274 | $72,375 |
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 Hamilton) · Census block assignment files
How does Hamilton compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hamilton is the 6,755th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 434th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Hamilton ranks 1,168th 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 | 434th | 1,294 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 1,293rd | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 703rd | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 1,168th | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 879th | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 1,061st | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 666th | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 317th | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 674th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 825th | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,128th | 1,382 |
| Work from home | 578th | 1,015 |
| Travel time to work | 786th | 1,382 |
Hamilton's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Hamilton 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 Hamilton?
18 of the 57 figures for Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton.