1837 plat map of, 1837
Brooklyn’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1837.
- 1873Brooklyn is settled
BrooklynIL
A town of 626, settled in 1873.
Population
626
2025 Census estimate · −4.4% since 2020
Median home value
$38K
Census ACS
Household income
$31K
median
Median age
29.5
years
Jobs based here
65
A commuter town
Is Brooklyn a good place to live?
Brooklyn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
626 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MadisonFairmont CityVeniceBrooklyn
Nearby attractions
All 59 attractions →Cahokia and 55 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brooklyn. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi State parkCahokia
Big draw2 mi Stadium & arenaThe Dome at America's Center
3 mi Stadium & arenaBusch Stadium
2 mi National ParkGateway Arch National Park2.2M visitors a year
6 mi LandmarkMonks Mound
3 mi Stadium & arenaEnterprise CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Cahokia: Thank You (24 Millions ) views, CC BY 2.0 · The Dome at America's Center: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Busch Stadium: Lee Ann Ratledge, CC BY 4.0 · Gateway Arch National Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Monks Mound: Skubasteve834, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Enterprise Center: Haaron755, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brooklyn: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brooklyn, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIl American-East St Louis water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offDrop Off Recycling, 1 miOpenStreetMap
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 hereSt. Clair County ClerkSt. Clair County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes62059, 6220162059 97% · 62201 3%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 Brooklyn.
Work & commute
A larger share of residents live below the poverty line in Brooklyn than in most of Illinois or the rest of the country
Jobs in Brooklyn fell by 22 from 2013 to 2023, to 65. No town among the 769 in Illinois we compare has a lower median household income than Brooklyn. 1.6% of Brooklyn working residents work locally, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. The top destinations are St. Louis (19%), East St. Louis (11%) and Belleville (4%).
2%work in town
| Brooklyn | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 44% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $31,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Brooklyn2%
St. Louis19%
East St. Louis11%
Belleville4%
Edwardsville4%
10 mi
median commute distance
65
jobs based in Brooklyn
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Brooklyn, mostly earthquakes
FEMA puts 44% of Brooklyn’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 37% to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Brooklyn households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 1993
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Brooklyn stands out in Illinois and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is hotter
Summers in Brooklyn are warm, and winters chilly. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 24° and about 14 inches of snow falls in a winter.
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–44°
Spring46–67°
Summer67–87°
Fall47–68°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Brooklyn is
Of the 768 Illinois towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Brooklyn. The town does better than the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 23. In Brooklyn, nearly a quarter of adults have diabetes.
| Brooklyn | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 18% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
5 better4 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Brooklyn | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11% | 17.8% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.8% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 30.7% | 7.8% |
St. Louis-John Cochran VA Medical Center
3.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: 1.7% of Brooklyn
The trail network density in Brooklyn is 0.9 miles per square mile. Across 1 park or preserve: 0.7 miles of trail. This Illinois town has one park or preserve, 11 acres in all.
1.7%conserved
| Brooklyn | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
1.7%
conserved · 9 of 519 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brooklyn Community Park | 0.7 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brooklyn
18pages on Brooklyn
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
17 within 15 miles of the center of Brooklyn
Stevens-The Institute of Business & ArtsUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Saint Louis, MO2.3 mi$14,332 tuitionPonce Health Sciences University-St LouisUniversity or college · Private for-profit · St. Louis, MO3 miHarris-Stowe State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Louis, MO3.4 mi$7,008 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Brooklyn residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Brooklyn for work
Where Brooklyn’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
65jobs based in Brooklyn
2%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Brooklyn
4 notable people were born in Brooklyn.
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About Brooklyn
Village in Illinois, United States
Brooklyn (popularly known as Lovejoy) is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Brooklyn had a population of 649. Located two miles north of East St. Louis, Illinois and three miles northeast of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, it is the oldest majority-Black incorporated town in the United States, founded by freed and fugitive slaves and incorporated in 1873. Its motto is "Founded by Chance, Sustained by Courage."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1873
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 413 ft
- ZIP code
- 62059
Questions about Brooklyn
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brooklyn, IL a good place to live?
Brooklyn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Brooklyn, IL known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Hamiet Bluiett and Barry Sumpter.