City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Prairie City, IL

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

386
Residents
$36,250
Median income
$80,400
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 Prairie City, 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 Prairie City.

Place dossier plate

Sheet IL-PRAIRIE-CITY-IL · Prairie City, IL 386 pop · income 5th pct

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

  • POP-VILLAGE 386
  • INC-LOW $36,250
  • COL-PAR 100.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 5th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Bear Creek
  • HOME-LOW $80,400
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Bear Creek, AL (+ $0 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 Prairie City

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Prairie City 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 Prairie City 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: 386.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $36,250. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Prairie City - the verdict

Prairie City ranks in the 5th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

5th
percentile, household income
4th
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: Prairie City, IL

386 people live in Prairie City, Illinois - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Prairie City report a median income of $36,250 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 8.5%. Home values in Prairie City run a median of $80,400, and the median resident age is 43.9 years. About 11.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 49.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

NOAA puts Prairie City's yearly average temperature at 51.5°F with 38.5 inches of precipitation per year and 21.3 inches of snowfall.

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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,063 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Illinois's average monthly utility costs around $240 (state average). The average commute for Prairie City workers runs 23.7 minutes, with 94.4% driving alone and 1.4% working from home. 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 Prairie City'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 comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

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

1. Population change

Is Prairie City 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 -13 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.2% 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 →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for Prairie City?

Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Tower Hill (387 residents, $52,917 income); Cameron (383 residents, $57,614 income); Stonefort (389 residents, $53,365 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Meridian, CA (386 residents); Kelley, IA (386 residents); Symsonia, KY (386 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 →

Question 3

What physical conditions frame life in Prairie City?

NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 51.5°F, with 38.5 inches of precipitation and 21.3 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Illinois is 54.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.

The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.

Read the source boundaries →

4. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Prairie City?

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 94.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 23.7 minutes.

Compare commute patterns →

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.

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Prairie City?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 8.5%, 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.

Household income
$36,250
Home value
$80,400
Value / income
2.2×

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

386 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$36,250 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 8.5% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

City profile score · Prairie City, IL

24/100

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 D
8.5%

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.

Bachelor's+ share F
11.9%

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

Household income F
$36,250

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

Violent crime N/A
N/A

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

Prairie City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income. Poverty rateCost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold income 24 F
Prairie City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 46/100 (D) · 8.5%
  • Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 12/100 (F) · 11.9%
  • Household income: 2/100 (F) · $36,250

How does Prairie City compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 5% higher than other cities
Home value 4% 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 Prairie City 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 Prairie City near the bottom of Illinois's cities

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

Median Household Income
#1,282 of 1,311
2nd percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#1,067 of 1,315
19th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#559 of 1,335
58th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#995 of 1,336
25th 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.

5thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

5th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Prairie City's home value compares nationally

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

$80,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 96% 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%). 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. Prairie City $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

Prairie City's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.2×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,549 of 15,516
More affordable than 84% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,385 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.2×, Prairie City sits in the affordable band: national rank #2,549 of 15,516 and #2,385 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

$36,250 Prairie City, IL median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Prairie City, IL Prairie City, IL's median household income ($36,250) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Prairie City, IL-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Prairie City, IL median $36,250/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%
Prairie City, 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 Prairie City, IL.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 49.8%

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

Population
386
Median Income
$36,250
Median Home Value
$80,400
Median Age
43.9
Poverty Rate
8.5%
Labor force participation
49.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.9%

Climate

Avg Temperature
51.5°F
Annual Precipitation
38.5"
Annual Snowfall
21.3"

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
390 residents395 residents400 residents405 residents410 residents 202020212022202320242025 405 residents 392 residents ▼ -3.2%
Prairie City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 405 residents
2021 402 residents
2022 403 residents
2023 402 residents
2024 397 residents
2025 392 residents

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.7 minutes
Drive Alone
94.4%
Carpool
4.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
1.4%

Based on 143 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 Prairie City. 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 Prairie City 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 Prairie City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Prairie City 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
Prairie City (this city) 386 $36,250
Tower Hill 387 $52,917
Cameron 383 $57,614
Stonefort 389 $53,365
NOAA Normals
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, 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