Village · Illinois
Payson, Illinois
Payson, village, in Adams County, Illinois. Payson had 994 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,025 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,100 (±330). GEOID 1758265.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
994
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,025 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,100 ±330
Median household income
$60,478
±$7,576 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$132,000
±$13,998 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$768
±$350 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Payson and what county is it in?
Payson is a village in Adams County, Illinois. It covers 1.2 square miles of land, 876 residents per square mile in 2020.
Payson is in the Quincy, IL-MO micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Payson lies entirely within Payson 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 Payson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 994 people lived in Payson on July 1, 2025, down 3.1% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 1,025 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,100 (±330).
| Measure | Payson | Adams County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,100 ±330 | 64,754 | no clear change |
| Households | 393 ±83 | 27,915 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.80 ±0.53 | 2.25 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 429 ±85 | 30,302 | no clear change |
Payson's population since 2000
From 1,066 in 2000 to 994 in 2025: down 6.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Payson 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 Payson?
The median resident of Payson is 35.8 years old; 30.3% are under 18 and 14.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.6%.
| Measure | Payson | Adams County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.8 ±13.2 | 41.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 30.3% ±10.8 pts | 22.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.4% ±6.1 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Male | 47.8% ±4.8 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5% ±1.9 pts | 2.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.3% ±4.5 pts | 90.0% | −5.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.5% ±3.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±2.7 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.4% ±4.3 pts | 7.7% | – |
| With a disability | 22.0% ±7.3 pts | 18.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.1% ±3.9 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.9% ±3.3 pts | 93.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.9% ±6.1 pts | 27.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.6% ±2.6 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.9% ±13.8 pts | 88.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 2.5% | – |
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 Payson earn?
Half of Payson's 393 households earn less than $60,478 a year (±$7,576), against $66,220 in Adams County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $73,751 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Payson | Adams County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,478 ±$7,576 | $66,220 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $80,200 ±$15,539 | $85,695 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,792 ±$7,635 | $37,595 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% ±5.9 pts | 12.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.0% ±7.7 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.5% ±6.3 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.4% ±3.7 pts | 91.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.4% ±3.5 pts | 86.5% | – |
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 Payson?
Owners occupy 83.0% of Payson's occupied homes and renters 17.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $132,000 by its owner (±$13,998). The median renter pays $768 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Payson | Adams County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $132,000 ±$13,998 | $162,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $768 ±$350 | $828 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 17.5% ±18.8 pts | 34.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,073 ±$93 | $1,279 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.0% ±9.2 pts | 72.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.0% ±9.2 pts | 27.9% | – |
| Housing units | 429 ±85 | 30,302 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±10.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±38.9 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.1% ±6.3 pts | 76.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.9% ±5.7 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 17.7% ±7.0 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±9.1 pts | 7.5% | – |
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 do people in Payson work and get to work?
90.9% of Payson's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.1 minutes.
| Measure | Payson | Adams County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 67.6% ±7.8 pts | 65.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±2.3 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 90.9% ±4.6 pts | 79.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.2% ±2.9 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.9 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±6.9 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.9% ±3.3 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.1 min ±4.3 | 16.9 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 Payson?
No census tract lies mostly in Payson; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 103.02Adams County | 2,842 | $72,560 |
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 Payson) · Census block assignment files
How does Payson compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Payson is the 10,283rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 652nd-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Payson ranks 1,077th 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 | 652nd | 1,294 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 1,023rd | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 676th | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 1,077th | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 1,234th | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 943rd | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 1,053rd | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 404th | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1,005th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 1,213th | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 437th | 1,382 |
| Travel time to work | 643rd | 1,382 |
Payson's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Payson 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 Payson?
23 of the 57 figures for Payson 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 Payson 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 Payson.