Alpha Gazebo, 2008
Alpha’s story
155 years in pictures
Census counts: 355 in 1900, 675 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
- 1871Alpha is settled
AlphaIL
A town of 653, settled in 1871.
Photo: 2Bdea · CC BY 3.0
Population
653
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Median home value
$111K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
45.6
years
Jobs based here
64
A commuter town
Is Alpha a good place to live?
Alpha has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
653 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Alpha: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alpha, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlpha water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alpha’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHenry County ClerkHenry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP code6141361413 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alpha.
Work & commute
Alpha stands out in Illinois and nationally: a smaller share of its residents live below the poverty line
0.8% of Alpha working residents work locally, below both Illinois’ towns (8.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its average trip to work stands at 20 minutes. The top destinations are Woodhull (8%), Galesburg (7%) and Davenport (6%). For half of commuters, work is under 22 miles away.
1%work in town
| Alpha | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 1.6% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Alpha1%
Woodhull8%
Galesburg7%
Davenport6%
Oxford Township5%
22 mi
median commute distance
64
jobs based in Alpha
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Alpha brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 14° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 27 inches of snow a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring40–61°
Summer62–82°
Fall42–63°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Alpha is
CDC measures, 32 in all: Alpha beats Illinois on 5 and trails on 3. 19% of Alpha adults binge drink. In Alpha, just over one in ten adults worry about having enough food, and 22% get no exercise outside work.
| Alpha | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 23% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
5 better24 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Alpha | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.8% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 15.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.7% | 10.3% |
St. Mary Medical Center
14 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Alpha is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Federal aid has come to Alpha households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage here than in 56% of U.S. communities.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windDrought
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
The median home in Alpha sells for about $105K
The going rate for rent here is $819 a month. 87% of Alpha households are owner-occupiers, against 75% in Illinois’ towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
$105Kmedian sale price
| Alpha | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $819 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alpha
16pages on Alpha
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Alpha
About 1 of every 100 Alpha residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Alpha for work
Where Alpha’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
64jobs based in Alpha
1%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Alpha
Village in Illinois, United States
Alpha is a village in southwest Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 675 at the 2020 census, up from 671 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1872
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 804 ft
- ZIP code
- 61413
Questions about Alpha
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alpha, IL a good place to live?
Alpha has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.