Village · Illinois
Prairie City, Illinois
Prairie City, village, in McDonough County, Illinois. Prairie City had 392 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 407 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 378 (±94). GEOID 1761548.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
392
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 407 · ACS 2020-2024: 378 ±94
Median household income
$60,694
±$15,564 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$91,500
±$16,126 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$717
±$356 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Prairie City and what county is it in?
Prairie City is a village in McDonough County, Illinois. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 404 residents per square mile in 2020.
Prairie City is in the Macomb, IL micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Prairie City lies entirely within Prairie City 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 Prairie City, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 392 people lived in Prairie City on July 1, 2025, down 3.7% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 407 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 378 (±94).
| Measure | Prairie City | McDonough County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 378 ±94 | 26,920 | no clear change |
| Households | 157 ±39 | 11,856 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.25 ±0.40 | 2.05 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 171 ±41 | 13,587 | no clear change |
Prairie City's population since 2000
From 461 in 2000 to 392 in 2025: down 15.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Prairie City 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 Prairie City?
The median resident of Prairie City is 47.5 years old; 17.7% are under 18 and 19.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.0%.
| Measure | Prairie City | McDonough County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.5 ±7.6 | 34.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.7% ±6.3 pts | 18.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.0% ±7.5 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Male | 52.4% ±6.0 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.0% ±5.7 pts | 3.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.8% ±11.7 pts | 85.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±3.0 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±5.9 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.6% ±2.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.0% ±4.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| With a disability | 11.9% ±5.5 pts | 15.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.1% ±1.6 pts | 7.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.9% ±3.0 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.7% ±5.1 pts | 31.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.6% ±2.8 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.1% ±5.2 pts | 77.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.2% ±4.0 pts | 2.8% | – |
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 Prairie City earn?
Half of Prairie City's 157 households earn less than $60,694 a year (±$15,564), against $52,795 in McDonough County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 the median was $32,085 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $28,609 after inflation. 11.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Prairie City | McDonough County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,694 ±$15,564 | $52,795 | +$28,609 |
| Mean household income | $65,490 ±$11,089 | $71,521 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,522 ±$4,781 | $32,219 | +$9,759 |
| People below the poverty line | 11.9% ±6.9 pts | 17.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.5% ±14.3 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.3% ±6.2 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.1% ±3.3 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.7% ±8.0 pts | 84.0% | – |
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 Prairie City?
Owners occupy 86.0% of Prairie City's occupied homes and renters 14.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $91,500 by its owner (±$16,126). The median renter pays $717 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Prairie City | McDonough County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $91,500 ±$16,126 | $107,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $717 ±$356 | $761 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 15.0% ±26.4 pts | 41.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,018 ±$159 | $1,166 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.0% ±10.3 pts | 63.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.0% ±10.3 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Housing units | 171 ±41 | 13,587 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±23.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±67.9 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.4% ±10.6 pts | 66.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 14.6% ±10.6 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±19.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.9% ±3.2 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.3% ±11.5 pts | 27.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±21.1 pts | 9.4% | – |
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 Prairie City work and get to work?
88.2% of Prairie City's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.2 minutes.
| Measure | Prairie City | McDonough County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.3% ±11.8 pts | 62.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% ±8.0 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 88.2% ±7.4 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.1% ±7.1 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±18.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 1.6% ±2.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.1% ±1.9 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.2 min ±4.1 | 18.6 min | −8.4 min |
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 Prairie City?
No census tract lies mostly in Prairie City; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 101McDonough County | 3,287 | $67,808 |
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 Prairie City) · Census block assignment files
How does Prairie City compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Prairie City is the 14,205th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 937th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Prairie City is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 937th | 1,294 |
Prairie City's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Prairie City 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 Prairie City?
27 of the 57 figures for Prairie City 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 Prairie City 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 Prairie City.