Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetIL-MOUNT-ZION-IL · Mount Zion, IL 6,076 pop · income 83rd pct
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 Mount Zion
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Mount Zion on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Vandalia · lowest
43,184
Vandalia · lowest
43,184 median HH income
24.6% of the leader · rank #1
McGovern · near
110,778
McGovern · near
110,778 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #2
Ashford · near
110,785
Ashford · near
110,785 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #3
Mount Zion · this city
110,786
Mount Zion · this city
110,786 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #4
Gunter · near
110,795
Gunter · near
110,795 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #5
Prairie Ridge · near
110,795
Prairie Ridge · near
110,795 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #6
Newtown Grant · highest
175,403
Newtown Grant · highest
175,403 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Mount Zion on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 6,076.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Mount Zion - the verdict
Nationally, Mount Zion sits in the 83rd percentile for household income and the 83rd percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
83rd
percentile, household income
43rd
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
83rd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Mount Zion, IL
Mount Zion is a small town in Illinois, home to 6,076 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Mount Zion report a median income of $110,786 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.1%. Typical homes in Mount Zion are valued around $200,300, and the median resident age is 40.1 years. 33.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 64.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 29 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 164% from five years earlier. Mount Zion reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 565.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Illinois scores 100.0 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,063 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 54.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Mount Zion'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 population change to reported crime to comparison shortlist to schools and households to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Mount Zion, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Population change
Is Mount Zion 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 -126 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 29 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Mount Zion?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 565.7 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 75% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Mount Zion?
Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Elburn (6,054 residents, $106,506 income); Beardstown (6,047 residents, $58,765 income); Vandalia (6,041 residents, $43,184 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are De Queen, AR (6,077 residents); Northville, MI (6,080 residents); Barnesville, GA (6,070 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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What does the education layer cover for Mount Zion?
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 33.3% 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.
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.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Mount Zion?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.1%, 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. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$110,786
Home value
$200,300
Value / income
1.8×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the journey to work look like in Mount Zion?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 91.0%. 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
5.1%
Drive alone
91.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 2,726 workers age 16+.
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
B
City profile score · Mount Zion, IL
70/100
5 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.
Violent crime A-
51 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income A-
$110,786
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B+
3.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
33.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
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.
Mount Zion profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 83/100 (A-) · 51 /100k
Household income: 82/100 (A-) · $110,786
Poverty rate: 78/100 (B+) · 3.1%
Bachelor's+ share: 64/100 (C+) · 33.3%
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Where Mount Zion sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Mount Zion's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Mount Zion highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Mount Zion, IL (this city): home $200,300, crime 566/100k
De Queen, AR : home $108,500, crime 1,934/100k
Northville, MI : home $455,100, crime 624/100k
Milan, MI : home $233,700, crime 868/100k
Elburn, IL : home $358,200, crime 584/100k
Vandalia, IL : home $88,800, crime 1,228/100k
Pontoon Beach, IL : home $137,900, crime 1,953/100k
Braidwood, IL : home $205,900, crime 454/100k
Chillicothe, IL : home $128,500, crime 1,095/100k
How does Mount Zion compare to other US cities?
Where Mount Zion sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income83% higher than other cities
Home value43% pricier than other cities
Median rent18% pricier than other cities
Safety83% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Illinois, Mount Zion ranks #123 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Mount Zion 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 Mount Zion near the bottom of Illinois's cities
Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Mount Zion ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Mount Zion only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#147 of 1,311
89th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#353 of 1,315
73rd percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#1,011 of 1,335
24th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#256 of 1,336
81st 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.
Gauge source note
83rd percentile nationally for median household income · 83rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Mount Zion's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Mount Zion's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Mount Zion's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$200,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 57% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Mount Zion's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#1,023 of 15,516
More affordable than 93% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#990 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 1.8×, Mount Zion sits in the affordable band:
national rank #1,023 of 15,516 and #990 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
$110,786Mount Zion, IL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Mount Zion, 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 Mount Zion, IL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)33.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
6,076
Median Income
$110,786
Median Home Value
$200,300
Median Age
40.1
Poverty Rate
3.1%
Labor force participation
64.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
565.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
51.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
514.3
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Mount Zion's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
6,006 residents
2021
5,961 residents
2022
5,899 residents
2023
5,867 residents
2024
5,857 residents
2025
5,880 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
29
housing units authorized
Single-Family
11
detached homes
Multifamily
18
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.8
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
11
11
0
$2.2M
2020
10
10
0
$2.2M
2021
8
8
0
$1.7M
2022
6
6
0
$2.7M
2023
6
6
0
$2.0M
2024
29
11
18
$6.5M
Permit volume increased 164% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
91.0%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
5.1%
Other
0.6%
Based on 2,726 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 Mount Zion. 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 Mount Zion 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 Mount Zion sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Mount Zion 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.