City · Illinois
Monticello, Illinois
Monticello, city, in Piatt County, Illinois. Monticello had 6,080 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,941 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 6,304 (±218). GEOID 1750244.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
6,080
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,941 · ACS 2020-2024: 6,304 ±218
Median household income
$99,449
±$7,901 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$210,500
±$19,464 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$1,379
±$355 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Monticello and what county is it in?
Monticello is a city in Piatt County, Illinois. It covers 4.0 square miles of land, 1,473 residents per square mile in 2020.
Monticello is in the Champaign-Urbana, IL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Monticello lies mostly within Monticello Township and reaches into Sangamon Township, towns or townships with their 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 Monticello, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 6,080 people lived in Monticello on July 1, 2025, up 2.3% since 2020, while Illinois shrank 0.8%. The 2020 Census counted 5,941 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 6,304 (±218).
| Measure | Monticello | Piatt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,304 ±218 | 16,695 | +609 |
| Households | 2,675 ±156 | 6,924 | +272 |
| Average household size | 2.31 ±0.13 | 2.39 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,782 ±148 | 7,412 | +214 |
Monticello's population since 2000
From 5,138 in 2000 to 6,080 in 2025: up 18.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Monticello 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 Monticello?
The median resident of Monticello is 43.8 years old; 18.7% are under 18 and 22.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.5%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 2.7%. 2.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Monticello | Piatt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.8 ±5.3 | 42.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.7% ±3.2 pts | 21.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.0% ±4.0 pts | 21.1% | – |
| Male | 49.2% ±2.6 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.9% ±1.0 pts | 1.6% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.5% ±2.0 pts | 94.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±1.4 pts | 1.2% | +1.9 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.8% ±1.5 pts | 1.7% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.7% ±1.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.5% ±2.3 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 12.5% ±3.4 pts | 13.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.2% ±1.1 pts | 3.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.7% ±2.6 pts | 96.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 40.7% ±5.8 pts | 32.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.6% ±4.1 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.4% ±5.4 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
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 Monticello earn?
Half of Monticello's 2,675 households earn less than $99,449 a year (±$7,901), against $94,811 in Piatt County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $92,639 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 5.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Monticello | Piatt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $99,449 ±$7,901 | $94,811 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $113,633 ±$12,889 | $113,102 | – |
| Per capita income | $48,780 ±$5,059 | $46,739 | +$6,869 |
| People below the poverty line | 5.7% ±3.6 pts | 6.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.9% ±7.7 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.0% ±3.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.0% ±3.1 pts | 95.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.3% ±3.7 pts | 91.3% | – |
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 Monticello?
Owners occupy 82.7% of Monticello's occupied homes and renters 17.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $210,500 by its owner (±$19,464). The median renter pays $1,379 a month including utilities, and 29.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Monticello | Piatt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $210,500 ±$19,464 | $180,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,379 ±$355 | $1,046 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 29.7% ±18.2 pts | 25.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,710 ±$168 | $1,527 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.7% ±5.9 pts | 84.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.3% ±5.9 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Housing units | 2,782 ±148 | 7,412 | +214 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.8 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.8% ±6.5 pts | 87.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.1% ±2.9 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 15.1% ±5.6 pts | 21.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.3% ±1.6 pts | 2.1% | – |
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 Monticello building?
Builders took permits for 26 new housing units in Monticello in 2025 (18 in single-family houses), 4.3 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 Monticello work and get to work?
90.6% of Monticello's workers drive alone and 6.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.2 minutes.
| Measure | Monticello | Piatt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 66.2% ±4.4 pts | 65.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 90.6% ±4.2 pts | 84.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.3% ±2.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.7% ±3.5 pts | 7.3% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.2 min ±2.6 | 24.0 min | no clear change |
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 Monticello?
1 census tract lies mostly in Monticello, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9546Piatt County | 6,661 | $98,914 |
| Tract 9545Piatt County | 4,038 | $99,625 |
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 Monticello) · Census block assignment files
How does Monticello compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Monticello is the 4,386th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 300th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Monticello ranks 350th 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 | 300th | 1,294 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 110th | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 439th | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 350th | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 293rd | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 539th | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 259th | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 911th | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 256th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 404th | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 451st | 1,382 |
| Work from home | 854th | 1,015 |
| Travel time to work | 902nd | 1,382 |
Monticello's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Monticello 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 Monticello?
19 of the 57 figures for Monticello 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 Monticello 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 Monticello.