Village · Illinois
Viola, Illinois
Viola, village, in Mercer County, Illinois. Viola had 836 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 869 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 899 (±129). GEOID 1778123.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
836
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 869 · ACS 2020-2024: 899 ±129
Median household income
$72,500
±$10,893 (90% margin)
Illinois: $83,390
Median home value
$120,000
±$10,857 (90% margin)
Illinois: $263,300
Median gross rent
$705
±$72 (90% margin)
Illinois: $1,274
Where is Viola and what county is it in?
Viola is a village in Mercer County, Illinois. It covers 0.8 square miles of land, 1,037 residents per square mile in 2020.
Viola is in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Viola lies entirely within Greene Township (Mercer County), 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 Viola, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 836 people lived in Viola on July 1, 2025, down 4.0% since 2020, a steeper fall than Illinois's (−0.8%). The 2020 Census counted 869 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 899 (±129).
| Measure | Viola | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 899 ±129 | 15,495 | no clear change |
| Households | 402 ±60 | 6,565 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.24 ±0.21 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 438 ±60 | 7,285 | no clear change |
Viola's population since 2000
From 956 in 2000 to 836 in 2025: down 12.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Viola 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 Viola?
The median resident of Viola is 46.6 years old; 16.7% are under 18 and 20.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.5%.
| Measure | Viola | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.6 ±4.1 | 44.7 | +10.1 |
| Under 18 years | 16.7% ±4.7 pts | 20.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.1% ±5.8 pts | 21.9% | – |
| Male | 53.2% ±3.2 pts | 50.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.5% ±3.7 pts | 3.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.4% ±4.8 pts | 93.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±3.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.8% ±3.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.5% ±3.9 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.7% ±4.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| With a disability | 15.4% ±4.9 pts | 13.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.7% ±2.8 pts | 4.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.7% ±4.7 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.6% ±4.9 pts | 20.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.8% ±2.8 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.4% ±4.4 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
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 Viola earn?
Half of Viola's 402 households earn less than $72,500 a year (±$10,893), against $74,182 in Mercer County and $83,390 in Illinois. In 2015-2019 it was $77,432 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Viola | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,500 ±$10,893 | $74,182 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $84,879 ±$11,332 | $92,846 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,929 ±$4,809 | $39,391 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.3% ±4.2 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.0% ±10.0 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.4% ±8.5 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.5% ±1.9 pts | 92.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.3% ±2.9 pts | 90.5% | – |
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 Viola?
Owners occupy 91.8% of Viola's occupied homes and renters 8.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $120,000 by its owner (±$10,857). The median renter pays $705 a month including utilities, and 36.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Viola | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $120,000 ±$10,857 | $146,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $705 ±$72 | $786 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.4% ±20.2 pts | 26.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,125 ±$256 | $1,327 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 91.8% ±4.2 pts | 83.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 8.2% ±4.2 pts | 16.2% | – |
| Housing units | 438 ±60 | 7,285 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 23.3% ±31.0 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.3% ±5.4 pts | 87.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.9% ±1.3 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.4% ±1.4 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 27.4% ±8.0 pts | 30.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.0% ±1.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
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 Viola building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Viola in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 1.5 across Illinois.
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 Viola work and get to work?
79.9% of Viola's workers drive alone and 11.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 26.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 8.2%.
| Measure | Viola | Mercer County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.1% ±7.1 pts | 60.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2% ±4.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.9% ±8.6 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.4% ±5.1 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.0% ±6.7 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.4 min ±3.4 | 28.1 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 Viola?
No census tract lies mostly in Viola; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 404Mercer County | 3,929 | $73,538 |
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 Viola) · Census block assignment files
How does Viola compare with other places in Illinois?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Viola is the 11,030th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 698th-most populous of 1,294 in Illinois.
Viola 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 | 698th | 1,294 |
Viola's figures with every place in Illinois (CSV)
Every place in Illinois, sortable · Compare Viola 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 Viola?
18 of the 57 figures for Viola 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 Viola 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 Viola.