19960615 25 BNSF, 1996
Big Rock’s story
176 years in pictures
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1996 and 3 maps from 1937 on.
- 1850Big Rock is settled
Big RockIL
A town of 1,090, settled in 1850. 73% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Jauerback · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,090
2025 Census estimate · −2.1% since 2020
Typical home
$419K
+5% in a year
Household income
$163K
median
Median age
49.4
years
Jobs based here
423
A commuter town
Is Big Rock a good place to live?
The best of Big Rock’s subject grades are an A+ for incomes, an A− for health, and an A for civic life; the weakest is a C− for walkability. Big Rock’s median household income is $163,000, above both the Illinois town median ($83,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Only 59 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on incomes. Only 73 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life. Big Rock Forest Preserve, at 207 acres with 2.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Big Rock has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Big Rock stand out
Where Big Rock beats most towns.
Small town
1,090 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Sugar GroveBig Rock
How Big Rock grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Big Rock is from typical.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →HealthPresence Mercy Medical Center 10.3 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 1% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $419K, 4.6 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsBeat 57% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 3% conserved landA−Open →HistoryBOpen →Civic life5.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 49.4; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 167 attractions →Allstate Arena and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Big Rock. Close and well known come first.
37 mi Stadium & arenaAllstate Arena
37 mi Stadium & arenaSeatGeek Stadium
38 mi MuseumMcDonald's #1 Store Museum
32 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
39 mi State parkStarved Rock State Park32 mi Park & preserveMazon CreekSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Allstate Arena: Nkon21, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SeatGeek Stadium: Khvmty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · McDonald's #1 Store Museum: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Starved Rock State Park: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Big Rock: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Rock, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet8 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Big Rock’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 hereKane County ClerkKane County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes60511, 6055460511 98% · 60554 2%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 Big Rock.
HealthA−
Big Rock is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Big Rock beats the Illinois average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of Big Rock adults binge drink, where Illinois’ towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 16%. 30% of Big Rock adults feel lonely.
83%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Big Rock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 23% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Big Rock | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 7.6% |
Presence Mercy Medical Center
10.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C+
More of Big Rock’s households own their home than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
99% of households own their home in Big Rock. Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026.
$419KZillow home value
Typical home value
Big Rock$419K
Illinois$296K
+5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Big Rock has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Big Rock for work: only 2% work in town. Big Rock’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Big Rock has lost 1,307 jobs, to 423 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Big Rock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Big Rock2%
Chicago8%
St. Charles5%
Batavia5%
Naperville4%
20 mi
median commute distance
423
jobs based in Big Rock
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 19% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Big Rock
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Big Rock has four seasons and pleasant summers
Big Rock has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–82°
Fall42–62°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 2.9% of Big Rock
2.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Big Rock is 0.7 miles per square mile.
2.9%conserved
| Big Rock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
2.9%
conserved · 80 of 2,748 acres
2.9 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Big Rock Forest Preserve | 2.5 mi | 207 |
| 2. Big Rock Community Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Big Rock
18pages on Big Rock
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Big Rock
Waubonsee Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sugar Grove4 mi$3,504 in-state tuitionAurora UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Aurora9.2 mi$29,170 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Big Rock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Big Rock for work
Where Big Rock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
423jobs based in Big Rock
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Big Rock
Village in Illinois, United States
Big Rock is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) due west of Chicago. It is between the villages of Hinckley and Sugar Grove. The village was incorporated on July 26, 2001. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,104.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 2001
- Area
- 4.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 709 ft
- ZIP code
- 60511
Questions about Big Rock
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Big Rock, IL a good place to live?
73% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Is Big Rock, IL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.