City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Olney, IL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Olney - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

8,864
Residents
$57,997
Median income
$96,900
Median home
$916
Median rent (state)

Olney - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Olney lands in the 32nd percentile for household income and the 53rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

32nd
percentile, household income
9th
percentile, home value
5th
percentile, median rent
53rd
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: Olney, IL

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 8,864 residents in Olney, a small town within Illinois. Median household income here is $57,997 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.0%. Typical homes in Olney are valued around $96,900, and the median resident age is 40.7 years. Educational attainment runs 20.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 6 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 200% from five years earlier. Olney reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1265.9 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 54.2°F with 48.8 inches of precipitation per year and 10.5 inches of snowfall.

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $916 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Olney workers runs 18.1 minutes, with 81.4% driving alone and 5.7% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 46.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

Population

8,864 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Illinois

Median Household Income

$57,997 /yr

Poverty 7.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

How does Olney compare to other US cities?

Where Olney sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 32% higher than other cities
Home value 9% pricier than other cities
Median rent 5% pricier than other cities
Safety 53% 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, Olney ranks #286 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

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 Olney'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.

32ndIncome percentile
53rdSafety percentile

32nd percentile nationally for median household income · 53rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Olney's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Olney'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 59 Avg. percentile National median
Olney'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 Olney's home value compares nationally

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

$96,900 Among the most affordable more affordable than 91% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $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. Olney $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Olney, IL Olney, IL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Olney, IL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Olney, IL median $57,997/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%
Olney, IL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Olney, IL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.5%

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

Population
8,864
Median Income
$57,997
Median Home Value
$96,900
Median Age
40.7
Poverty Rate
7.0%
Labor force participation
56.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1265.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
224.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1041.1
per 100,000 residents

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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
54.2°F
Annual Precipitation
48.8"
Annual Snowfall
10.5"

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
8,200 residents8,400 residents8,600 residents8,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 8,693 residents 8,347 residents ▼ -4.0%
Olney's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 0
2021 1
2022 3
2023 3
2024 6

Permit volume increased 200% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
18.1 minutes
Drive Alone
81.4%
Carpool
8.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
5.7%
Other
1.3%

Based on 3,880 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 Olney 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
46.7 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Illinois

Harwood Heights
8,851 people
Savoy
8,807 people
Monmouth
8,794 people
Manteno
8,942 people
Mascoutah
8,743 people
Glencoe
8,715 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Olney's 8,864 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Clanton, AL
8,862 people
Whippany, NJ
8,862 people
Collingdale, PA
8,862 people
Larkfield-Wikiup, CA
8,861 people
Clayton, NJ
8,867 people
Blacklick Estates, OH
8,867 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Olney's $57,997 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Elberta, AL
$57,996 median income
Bay, AR
$58,000 median income
Fairview, KS
$58,000 median income
Havre, MT
$58,000 median income
Burgettstown, PA
$58,000 median income
Mars, PA
$58,000 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Olney, IL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Olney, IL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.7% White 92.5% Black or African American 0.7% Asian 0.1% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 1.7% Two or more races 4.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Olney compares to nearby Illinois cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Olney (this city) 8,864 $57,997
Harwood Heights 8,851 $79,651
Savoy 8,807 $88,828
Monmouth 8,794 $59,690
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IL FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Olney, IL?

What is the population of Olney, IL? +

Olney, IL counts 8,864 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Olney, IL? +

In Olney, the typical household earns $57,997 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Olney? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Olney; 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.

Is Olney, IL safe? +

Olney has a total crime rate of 1265.9 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Olney, IL? +

A typical home in Olney is worth $96,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Olney? +

The average annual temperature in Olney runs 54.2°F, 48.8 inches of precipitation, and 10.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

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 PlainCities Editorial

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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.