Village · Illinois

Pontoon Beach, Illinois

Pontoon Beach, village, in Madison County, Illinois. Pontoon Beach had 5,887 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,876 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 6,025 (±290). GEOID 1761067.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

5,887

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,876 · ACS 2020-2024: 6,025 ±290

Median household income

$62,861

±$12,530 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390

Median home value

$145,100

±$21,458 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300

Median gross rent

$1,277

±$113 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274

Where is Pontoon Beach and what county is it in?

Pontoon Beach is a village in Madison County, Illinois. It covers 10.0 square miles of land, 589 residents per square mile in 2020.

Pontoon Beach is in the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 15 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Pontoon Beach lies mostly within Nameoki Township and reaches into Chouteau Township, Collinsville Township and Edwardsville Township, towns or townships with their own local government (2020 census blocks).

Pontoon Beach (marked with a dot) in Madison County, Illinois. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Pontoon Beach, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 5,887 people lived in Pontoon Beach on July 1, 2025, up 0.3% since 2020, while Illinois shrank 0.8%. The 2020 Census counted 5,876 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 6,025 (±290).

  • July 2020→2021 −19 (5,845)
  • 2021→2022 −18 (5,827)
  • 2022→2023 −3 (5,824)
  • 2023→2024 +40 (5,864)
  • 2024→2025 +23 (5,887)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure Pontoon BeachMadison CountyIllinois Change since 2015-2019
Total population 6,025 ±290 264,238 12,694,798 no clear change
Households 2,377 ±170 110,134 5,036,449 no clear change
Average household size 2.52 ±0.17 2.35 2.46 no clear change
Housing units 2,554 ±207 119,168 5,457,452 no clear change

Pontoon Beach's population since 2000

From 5,620 in 2000 to 5,887 in 2025: up 4.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Pontoon Beach 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.

  • 2000 Census 5,620
  • 2005 (estimate) 5,870
  • 2010 Census 5,836
  • 2015 (estimate) 5,750
  • 2020 Census 5,876
  • 2025 (estimate) 5,887

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 Pontoon Beach?

The median resident of Pontoon Beach is 34.9 years old; 26.9% are under 18 and 13.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 65.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 19.0%. 6.7% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure Pontoon BeachMadison CountyIllinois Change since 2015-2019
Median age 34.9 ±2.6 40.2 39.0 no clear change
Under 18 years 26.9% ±4.0 pts 21.3% 21.8% –
65 years and over 13.2% ±3.4 pts 18.5% 17.0% –
Male 53.8% ±3.2 pts 48.9% 49.4% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19.0% ±5.6 pts 4.3% 18.8% no clear change
White alone, not Hispanic 65.4% ±6.9 pts 81.8% 58.1% −14.6 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 8.4% ±3.6 pts 7.7% 13.3% no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.6 pts 0.8% 5.9% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.6 pts 0.1% 0.1% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.6 pts 0.0% 0.0% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 6.1% ±4.1 pts 5.0% 3.4% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 1.1% ±1.4 pts 0.2% 0.4% –
Born outside the United States 6.7% ±3.8 pts 2.2% 14.7% no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 9.3% ±4.6 pts 3.6% 24.0% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 9.6% ±2.5 pts 8.2% 4.8% –
With a disability 13.6% ±3.5 pts 15.8% 12.1% –
No health insurance coverage 5.3% ±2.5 pts 4.7% 6.9% no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 95.4% ±3.1 pts 93.9% 90.5% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 15.5% ±4.6 pts 31.0% 37.8% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 5.0% ±2.6 pts 11.2% 15.3% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 90.7% ±3.9 pts 88.5% 88.9% –
Moved from another state in the past year 0.1% ±0.2 pts 2.1% 1.6% –

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 Pontoon Beach earn?

Half of Pontoon Beach's 2,377 households earn less than $62,861 a year (±$12,530), against $75,793 in Madison County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $65,646 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 21.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure Pontoon BeachMadison CountyIllinois Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $62,861 ±$12,530 $75,793 $83,390 no clear change
Mean household income $71,691 ±$7,866 $98,419 $115,638 –
Per capita income $28,697 ±$3,277 $41,560 $46,406 no clear change
People below the poverty line 21.7% ±6.3 pts 11.1% 11.8% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 32.9% ±13.1 pts 13.2% 15.1% no clear change
Households receiving SNAP 23.2% ±7.3 pts 13.7% 13.8% –
Households with a computer 96.0% ±2.9 pts 94.9% 95.2% –
Households with a broadband subscription 93.8% ±3.1 pts 91.0% 90.8% –

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 Pontoon Beach?

Owners occupy 69.6% of Pontoon Beach's occupied homes and renters 30.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $145,100 by its owner (±$21,458). The median renter pays $1,277 a month including utilities, and 41.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure Pontoon BeachMadison CountyIllinois Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $145,100 ±$21,458 $173,000 $263,300 +$27,938
Median gross rent $1,277 ±$113 $1,024 $1,274 +$232
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 41.6% ±14.4 pts 37.8% 39.0% no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,325 ±$124 $1,511 $1,987 –
Owner-occupied homes 69.6% ±7.7 pts 74.2% 67.1% no clear change
Renter-occupied homes 30.4% ±7.7 pts 25.8% 32.9% –
Housing units 2,554 ±207 119,168 5,457,452 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 3.3% ±3.0 pts 1.0% 1.0% –
Rental vacancy rate 0.0% ±4.9 pts 4.1% 5.0% –
Single-family detached homes 59.7% ±6.5 pts 78.9% 58.2% –
Mobile homes 25.6% ±6.6 pts 2.2% 2.3% –
Built 2020 or later 1.6% ±1.3 pts 0.9% 0.7% –
Built 2010 to 2019 4.2% ±2.8 pts 6.0% 5.0% –
Built 1939 or earlier 1.8% ±2.6 pts 14.6% 20.2% –
Households with no vehicle 10.2% ±5.7 pts 5.7% 11.0% –

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 Pontoon Beach building?

Builders took permits for 10 new housing units in Pontoon Beach in 2025 (10 in single-family houses), 1.7 per 1,000 residents against 1.5 across Illinois.

  • 2019 4 units
  • 2020 4 units
  • 2021 6 units
  • 2022 7 units
  • 2023 23 units
  • 2024 16 units
  • 2025 10 units

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 Pontoon Beach work and get to work?

79.0% of Pontoon Beach's workers drive alone and 6.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 11.0%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure Pontoon BeachMadison CountyIllinois Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 63.9% ±5.2 pts 62.7% 65.0% –
Unemployment rate 11.0% ±5.1 pts 4.6% 5.8% no clear change
Drove alone to work 79.0% ±5.0 pts 78.1% 65.9% –
Carpooled 11.5% ±3.9 pts 6.6% 7.8% –
Public transportation 3.0% ±3.7 pts 0.6% 5.8% –
Walked 0.2% ±0.3 pts 1.1% 2.8% –
Worked from home 6.2% ±2.6 pts 12.7% 15.9% –
Mean travel time to work 22.5 min ±3.5 24.9 min 27.8 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 Pontoon Beach?

1 census tract lies mostly in Pontoon Beach, and 5 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Pontoon Beach, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Pontoon Beach
Tract 4009.52Madison County3,461 $71,042 $121,50058%
Tract 4009.03Madison County4,432 $54,350 $148,00021%
Tract 4019.05Madison County5,028 $62,016 $106,30015%
Tract 4035.34Madison County4,032 $91,250 $290,30010%
Tract 4031.01Madison County6,253 $76,731 $358,6005%
Tract 4009.51Madison County5,026 $62,148 $149,2002%

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 Pontoon Beach) · Census block assignment files

How does Pontoon Beach compare with other places in Illinois?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Pontoon Beach is the 4,463rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 302nd-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.

Pontoon Beach ranks 1,018th of 1,380 places in Illinois with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Pontoon Beach's rank in Illinois (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate302nd1,294
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)241st1,347
Residents per square mile758th1,383
Median household income1,018th1,380
Per capita income1,238th1,383
Median home value858th1,379
Median gross rent322nd1,280
Poverty rate94th1,119
Bachelor's degree or higher1,139th1,369
Median age1,263rd1,383
Owner-occupied share1,046th1,382
Work from home888th1,015
Travel time to work957th1,382

Pontoon Beach's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)

Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Pontoon Beach 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 Pontoon Beach?

13 of the 57 figures for Pontoon Beach 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 Pontoon Beach 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 Pontoon Beach.