Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
28% of residents live below the poverty line in Cave-In-Rock, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Of the 769 Illinois towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Cave-In-Rock. 14% of the land in Cave-In-Rock is conserved, above both the Illinois town median (3.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Battery Rock and Cave-In-Rock is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cave-In-Rock has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Cave-In-Rock beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 306 in 1910, a peak of 550 in 1950, 228 in 2020. The archive holds 2 maps from 1916 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cave-In-Rock, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Cave-In-Rock.
The typical Cave-In-Rock home is worth about $89,000, about the same as a year ago, 70% below the Illinois typical home. Among households in the town, 56% are owner-occupiers.
| Cave-In-Rock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $490 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 56% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
One declared disaster, in 2011, has brought federal aid to Cave-In-Rock households. On expected storm and flood damage, Cave-In-Rock sits above 85% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Cave-In-Rock break down as 50% from inland flooding and 13% from earthquakes.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median commute is under 24 miles. The top destinations are Marion (5%), Golconda (4%) and Elizabethtown (3%). In Cave-In-Rock, the average trip to work is 27 minutes.
| Cave-In-Rock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $29,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Cave-In-Rock, the peak summer temperature is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Cave-In-Rock’s concentration of trails comes in at 1.0 miles per square mile. 0.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. It has one park or preserve, 9 acres in all.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cave In Rock State Park | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
24% of Cave-In-Rock adults say their health is fair or poor. The town beats the Illinois average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. Among adults here, 16% have diabetes and 17% report frequent physical distress. Only 7 of the 768 Illinois towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Cave-In-Rock.
| Cave-In-Rock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Cave-In-Rock | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.6% | 13.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.6% | 75.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Cave-In-Rock; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Cave-In-Rock residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Where Cave-In-Rock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Cave-In-Rock is a village in Hardin County, Illinois, United States. Its principal feature and tourist attraction is nearby Cave-In-Rock, on the banks of the Ohio River. In 1816, the earliest known permanent white settlers arrived and started building a town near the cave. The town was originally known as Rock and Cave, Illinois, with a post office under this name. On October 24, 1849, the town was officially renamed Cave-In-Rock. Cave-In-Rock was incorporated as a village in 1901. The population was 228 at the 2020 census. Beginning in the 1790s, Cave-in-Rock became a refuge stronghold for frontier outlaws, on the run from the law which included river pirates and highwaymen Samuel Mason an…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cave-In-Rock has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
