City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Payson, IL

Payson's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

1,030
Residents
$62,262
Median income
$118,000
Median home
$1,063
Median rent (state)
View my watchlist

Compare or rank this city

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.

Compare with another city

Starting with Payson, IL - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Payson.

Place dossier plate

Sheet IL-PAYSON-IL · Payson, IL 1,030 pop · income 39th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 1,030
  • INC-MID $62,262
  • COL-PAR 100.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 39th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Belmont
  • HOME-LOW $118,000
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Belmont, NY (+ $4 income $)

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 Payson

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Payson on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Payson on ACS population and median household income . 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: 1,030.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $62,262. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Payson - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Payson places in the 39th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

39th
percentile, household income
17th
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Payson, IL

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 1,030 residents in Payson, a small town within Illinois. The typical household in Payson brings in $62,262 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.5%. Home values in Payson run a median of $118,000, and the median resident age is 34.9 years. Educational attainment runs 19.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 73.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 2 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Illinois at 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,063 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Illinois's average monthly utility costs around $240 (state average). 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 Payson'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 housing and income to schools and households to comparison shortlist to population change to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Payson, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

How far does income reach against housing in Payson?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.5%, 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.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 2

What does the education layer cover for Payson?

The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 19.1% 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 matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

See how the family ranking is built →

Question 3

Which cities make useful reference points for Payson?

Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Chebanse (1,033 residents, $76,190 income); Washburn (1,026 residents, $79,306 income); Macon (1,035 residents, $74,063 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Stratford, CA (1,030 residents); Bradner, OH (1,030 residents); Burneyville, OK (1,030 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

4. Population change

Is Payson 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 -30 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.9% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

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.

Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Payson?

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 89.6%. 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
5.9%
Drive alone
89.6%

City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 540 workers age 16+.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

1,030 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$62,262 /yr

Below median income · poverty 6.5% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

City profile score · Payson, IL

42/100

4 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.

Poverty rate C
6.5%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

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.

Household income F
$62,262

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share F
19.1%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Payson profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Household income, Bachelor's+ share. Poverty rateCost of livingHousehold incomeBachelor's+ share 42 D
Payson profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 56/100 (C) · 6.5%
  • Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
  • Household income: 38/100 (F) · $62,262
  • Bachelor's+ share: 32/100 (F) · 19.1%

How does Payson compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 39% higher than other cities
Home value 17% pricier than other cities
Median rent 18% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Payson 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 Payson near the bottom of Illinois's cities

Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Payson ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Payson only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#781 of 1,311
40th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#668 of 1,315
49th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#722 of 1,335
45th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#620 of 1,336
53rd 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.

39thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

39th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Payson's home value compares nationally

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

$118,000 Among the most affordable more affordable than 83% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Payson $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

Payson's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.9×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#1,288 of 15,516
More affordable than 92% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,243 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 1.9×, Payson sits in the affordable band: national rank #1,288 of 15,516 and #1,243 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

$62,262 Payson, IL median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Payson, IL Payson, IL's median household income ($62,262) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Payson, IL-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Payson, IL median $62,262/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%
Payson, 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 Payson, IL.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 19.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 73.5%

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

Population
1,030
Median Income
$62,262
Median Home Value
$118,000
Median Age
34.9
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Labor force participation
73.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.1%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
990 residents1,000 residents1,010 residents1,020 residents1,030 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,024 residents 994 residents ▼ -2.9%
Payson's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 1,024 residents
2021 1,015 residents
2022 1,004 residents
2023 1,002 residents
2024 994 residents
2025 994 residents

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
89.6%
Carpool
3.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
5.9%
Other
0.6%

Based on 540 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 Payson. 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 Payson 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 Payson sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Payson 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.

City Population Median Household Income
Payson (this city) 1,030 $62,262
Chebanse 1,033 $76,190
Washburn 1,026 $79,306
Macon 1,035 $74,063
NCES CCD
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, 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.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

Browse all city profiles → · Explore city rankings →

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

Share or download this profile