Township · Illinois
Prairie Township, Shelby County, Illinois
Prairie Township, Shelby County, township, in Shelby County, Illinois. Prairie Township, Shelby County had 1,204 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,212 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,136 (±214). GEOID 1717361522.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,204
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,212 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,136 ±214
Median household income
$68,333
±$19,070 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$144,200
±$26,659 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$761
±$92 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Prairie Township, Shelby County and what county is it in?
Prairie Township, Shelby County is a township in Shelby County, Illinois. It covers 54.2 square miles of land, 22 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Prairie Township (Shelby County): Stewardson (village, 721 in 2020). Part of Strasburg (village) also lies in it.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Prairie Township, Shelby County, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,204 people lived in Prairie Township, Shelby County on July 1, 2025, down 0.9% since 2020, in line with Illinois (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 1,212 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,136 (±214).
| Measure | Prairie Township, Shelby County | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,136±214 | 20,720 | no clear change |
| Households | 466±80 | 8,918 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.44±0.28 | 2.30 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 510±84 | 10,060 | no clear change |
Prairie Township, Shelby County's population since 2000
From 1,267 in 2000 to 1,204 in 2025: down 5.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Prairie Township, Shelby County 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 Township, Shelby County?
The median resident of Prairie Township, Shelby County is 42.1 years old; 22.6% are under 18 and 24.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 1.5%.
| Measure | Prairie Township, Shelby County | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.1±4.6 | 45.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.6%±5.4 pts | 21.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.6%±5.9 pts | 23.7% | – |
| Male | 50.1%±3.4 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.6%±1.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.9%±2.2 pts | 96.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.5%±1.9 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8%±2.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.8%±2.3 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.6%±3.0 pts | 10.4% | – |
| With a disability | 15.2%±4.0 pts | 14.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.5%±4.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.9%±3.5 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.9%±8.2 pts | 18.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.9%±1.7 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.1%±5.4 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7%±0.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
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 Township, Shelby County earn?
Half of Prairie Township, Shelby County's 466 households earn less than $68,333 a year (±$19,070), against $72,095 in Shelby County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $83,402 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Prairie Township, Shelby County | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,333±$19,070 | $72,095 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $86,976±$14,729 | $82,841 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,694±$6,454 | $34,820 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.8%±4.0 pts | 9.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.9%±9.4 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.1%±4.5 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.1%±3.6 pts | 91.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.9%±4.7 pts | 88.6% | – |
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 Township, Shelby County?
Owners occupy 85.2% of Prairie Township, Shelby County's occupied homes and renters 14.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $144,200 by its owner (±$26,659). The median renter pays $761 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Prairie Township, Shelby County | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $144,200±$26,659 | $137,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $761±$92 | $814 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 10.8%±10.8 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,161±$101 | $1,226 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.2%±6.6 pts | 78.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.8%±6.6 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Housing units | 510±84 | 10,060 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±9.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 14.8%±13.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.2%±3.7 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.1%±3.2 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8%±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.1%±3.9 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 34.9%±7.4 pts | 29.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.4%±2.5 pts | 4.9% | – |
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 Township, Shelby County work and get to work?
80.6% of Prairie Township, Shelby County's workers drive alone and 10.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.2 minutes.
| Measure | Prairie Township, Shelby County | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.1%±7.4 pts | 61.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7%±1.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 80.6%±6.8 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.0%±5.2 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.4%±0.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.9%±1.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.1%±5.0 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.2 min±2.9 | 20.8 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 Prairie Township, Shelby County?
No census tract lies mostly in Prairie Township, Shelby County; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9595Shelby County | 3,587 | $71,960 |
| Tract 9594Shelby County | 3,120 | $81,204 |
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 Township, Shelby County) · Census block assignment files
How does Prairie Township, Shelby County compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Prairie Township, Shelby County is the 6,887th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 608th-most populous of 1,407 in Illinois.
Prairie Township, Shelby County ranks 889th 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 | 608th | 1,407 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 421st | 1,347 |
| Residents per square mile | 1,372nd | 1,383 |
| Median household income | 889th | 1,380 |
| Per capita income | 848th | 1,383 |
| Median home value | 862nd | 1,379 |
| Median gross rent | 1,070th | 1,280 |
| Poverty rate | 655th | 1,119 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 605th | 1,369 |
| Median age | 577th | 1,383 |
| Owner-occupied share | 347th | 1,382 |
| Work from home | 587th | 1,015 |
| Travel time to work | 816th | 1,382 |
Prairie Township, Shelby County's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Prairie Township, Shelby County 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 Township, Shelby County?
21 of the 57 figures for Prairie Township, Shelby County 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 Township, Shelby County 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' school search.