Atkinson, Illinois, 2012
Atkinson’s story
170 years in pictures
Census counts: 504 in 1880, 965 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2012 and 4 maps from 1934 on.
- 1856Atkinson is settled
AtkinsonIL
A town of 924, settled in 1856.
Population
924
2025 Census estimate · −3.2% since 2020
Typical home
$190K
+11.8% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
45.3
years
Jobs based here
136
A commuter town
Is Atkinson a good place to live?
11% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Atkinson, below both the Illinois town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Atkinson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
924 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 Atkinson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Atkinson, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAtkinson water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Atkinson’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 code6123561235 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 Atkinson.
Housing
The typical home in Atkinson is valued at about $190K
The typical Atkinson home is worth about $190,000, up 11.8% in a year, 36% below the Illinois typical home. At $734 a month, Atkinson’s median rent is below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 83% of households own their home in Atkinson.
$190KZillow home value
| Atkinson | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $734 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Atkinson$190K
Illinois$296K
+11.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Atkinson’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Atkinson for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Atkinson fell to 136 in 2023, 183 fewer than in 2013. Atkinson’s median household income is $57,000.
2%work in town
| Atkinson | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Atkinson2%
Geneseo19%
Moline7%
Rock Island5%
Davenport5%
25 mi
median commute distance
136
jobs based in Atkinson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Atkinson has four seasons and pleasant summers
Atkinson has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Atkinson
1 crime was reported in Atkinson in 2025: 1 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Atkinson is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Atkinson is
Atkinson beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 38% of Atkinson adults have high blood pressure.
| Atkinson | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
5 better19 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Atkinson | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.6% | 15.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.8% | 10.3% |
Hammond Henry Hospital
8.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Atkinson
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
6.1%conserved
6.1%
conserved · 75 of 1,227 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Atkinson
18pages on Atkinson
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Atkinson; the nearest are
Black Hawk CollegeCommunity college · Public · Moline23.3 mi$4,920 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb73.4 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Atkinson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Atkinson for work
Where Atkinson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
136jobs based in Atkinson
2%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Atkinson
Town in Henry County, Illinois, United States
Atkinson is a town in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 965 at the 2020 census, down from 972 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1867
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 653 ft
- ZIP code
- 61235
- Area code
- 309
Questions about Atkinson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Atkinson, IL a good place to live?
Atkinson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.