Bradford quadrangle, Illinois : 15 minute series, 1945
Bradford’s story
173 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1907.
- 1853Bradford is settled
Population
666
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Typical home
$124K
+2.8% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
46.9
years
Jobs based here
272
Balanced
Is Bradford a good place to live?
22% of residents live below the poverty line in Bradford, above both the Illinois town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Bradford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
666 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 Bradford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bradford, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBradford water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereStark County ClerkStark County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6142161421 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 Bradford.
Housing
A home in Bradford is worth about $124K, on Zillow’s estimate
Bradford: 81% of households are owner-occupiers, against 75% in Illinois’ towns and 73% across U.S. towns. In Bradford, the going rate for rent is $809 a month.
$124KZillow home value
| Bradford | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $809 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bradford$124K
Illinois$296K
+2.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Bradford
Expect July afternoons of 84° and January nights of 15°, with about 23 inches of snow a winter.
23″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Few of Bradford’s working residents work in town
Bradford’s income of the median household comes in at $52,000. Jobs based in Bradford grew to 272 in 2023, 145 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Peoria (12%), Toulon (7%) and Kewanee (7%). For half of commuters, work is under 31 miles away.
3%work in town
| Bradford | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bradford3%
Peoria12%
Toulon7%
Kewanee7%
Chicago4%
31 mi
median commute distance
272
jobs based in Bradford
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Bradford is
Bradford: just over a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor. In Bradford, 15% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 13% have diabetes.
| Bradford | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
3 better20 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Bradford | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 13.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.1% | 10.3% |
OSF Saint Luke Medical Center
15.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Bradford has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Bradford, 35% come from inland flooding and 21% from drought. Compared with 55% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bradford after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2013.
45risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtStrong wind
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 255 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hodges Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bradford
18pages on Bradford
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bradford; the nearest are
Methodist CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Peoria27.4 mi$18,008 tuitionIllinois Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Oglesby30.3 mi$4,200 in-state tuitionIllinois State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Normal57.9 mi$16,144 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Bradford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Famous people from Bradford
4 notable people were born in Bradford.
About Bradford
Village in Illinois, United States
Bradford is a village in Stark County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bradford had a population of 676. Bradford is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 807 ft
- ZIP code
- 61421
Questions about Bradford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bradford, IL a good place to live?
Bradford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Bradford, IL known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Eva Katherine Clapp and France Vinton Scholes.