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Place dossier plate
SheetIL-ZION-IL · Zion, IL 24,466 pop · income 39th pct
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 Zion
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Zion on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Kankakee · lowest
45,119
Kankakee · lowest
45,119 median HH income
32.1% of the leader · rank #1
Brookville · near
62,569
Brookville · near
62,569 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #2
Huntington · near
62,569
Huntington · near
62,569 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #3
Zion · this city
62,574
Zion · this city
62,574 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #4
Coopersville · near
62,575
Coopersville · near
62,575 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #5
Fifty-Six · near
62,583
Fifty-Six · near
62,583 median HH income
44.5% of the leader · rank #6
Decatur · highest
140,480
Decatur · highest
140,480 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Zion on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 24,466.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Zion - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Zion lands in the 39th percentile for household income and the 48th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
39th
percentile, household income
36th
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
48th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Zion, IL
24,466 people live in Zion, Illinois - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Zion report a median income of $62,574 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.1%. Zion's housing stock carries a median value of $179,100, and the median resident age is 34.0 years. About 16.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 30 residential building permits were authorized in Zion (Low Activity), per Census BPS data. Zion reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1445.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Illinois scores 100.0 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,063 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Illinois run around $240, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Zion report an average commute of 27.1 minutes, with 73.5% driving alone and 6.7% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Zion'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 work and mobility to schools and households to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Zion, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Zion?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 27.1 minutes.
The NCES join finds 8 public schools within the city match. 16.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
How far does income reach against housing in Zion?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 13.1%, 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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Which cities make useful reference points for Zion?
Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Belvidere (24,510 residents, $62,462 income); Melrose Park (24,513 residents, $64,740 income); Homer Glen (24,516 residents, $128,546 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Saginaw, TX (24,467 residents); Decatur, GA (24,470 residents); Faribault, MN (24,458 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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
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.
Population change
Is Zion 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 -277 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 30 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-1.1%
2025 estimate
24,447
2020 estimate
24,724
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1445.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 37% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
993.0
Violent rate
452.9
Total reported rate
1445.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 13.1% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.0 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average
F
City profile score · Zion, IL
30/100
5 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.
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.
Household income F
$62,574
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
13.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
16.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
453 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Zion profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Household income: 38/100 (F) · $62,574
Poverty rate: 27/100 (F) · 13.1%
Bachelor's+ share: 23/100 (F) · 16.1%
Violent crime: 19/100 (F) · 453 /100k
Where Zion sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Zion's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Zion highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Zion, IL (this city): home $179,100, crime 1,446/100k
Saginaw, TX : home $270,300, crime 1,637/100k
Decatur, GA : home $655,900, crime 2,401/100k
Faribault, MN : home $233,900, crime 1,437/100k
Soledad, CA : home $571,600, crime 785/100k
Belvidere, IL : home $153,100, crime 589/100k
Melrose Park, IL : home $265,000, crime 2,075/100k
Homer Glen, IL : home $400,000, crime 293/100k
Morton Grove, IL : home $377,000, crime 1,182/100k
Westmont, IL : home $369,100, crime 1,106/100k
How does Zion compare to other US cities?
Where Zion sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income39% higher than other cities
Home value36% pricier than other cities
Median rent18% pricier than other cities
Safety48% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Illinois and the picture shifts: Zion ranks #305 of 455 Illinois cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Zion 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 Zion near the bottom of Illinois's cities
Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Zion ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Zion only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#772 of 1,311
41st percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#411 of 1,315
69th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#316 of 1,335
76th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#771 of 1,336
42nd 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.
Gauge source note
39th percentile nationally for median household income · 48th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Zion's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Zion's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Zion's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$179,100Among the most affordablemore affordable than 64% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Zion's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,921 of 15,516
More affordable than 62% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#714 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.9×, Zion sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,921 of 15,516 and #714 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
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
$62,574Zion, IL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Zion, 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 Zion, IL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)16.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)13.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
24,466
Median Income
$62,574
Median Home Value
$179,100
Median Age
34.0
Poverty Rate
13.1%
Labor force participation
64.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1445.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
452.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
993.0
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Zion's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
24,724 residents
2021
24,631 residents
2022
24,495 residents
2023
24,449 residents
2024
24,443 residents
2025
24,447 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
30
housing units authorized
Single-Family
30
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
1
1
0
$0.3M
2024
30
30
0
$10.6M
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
27.1 minutes
Drive Alone
73.5%
Carpool
12.9%
Public Transit
1.5%
Walk
1.6%
Work from Home
6.7%
Other
3.8%
Based on 11,968 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 Zion. 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 Zion 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 Zion sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Zion 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.