Central CityIL
A town of 1,067, settled in 1854.
Is Central City a good place to live?
The best of Central City’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Central City, above both Illinois’ towns (8.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On health, just 2 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns do worse. The median household income is $45K, and 29% of residents live below the poverty line. On civic life, just 48 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns do worse. Central City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Central City stand out
Where Central City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
| Widest gap | Central City | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.1% | 10.3% |
1,067 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Central City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Central City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Central City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Central City, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Central City.
The typical home in Central City is valued at about $93K
The typical Central City home is worth about $93,000, up 11.9% in a year, 69% below the Illinois typical home. At $840 a month, Central City’s median rent is against $1,129 a month in Illinois’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Central City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $840 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
A larger share of adults in Central City say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
32% of Central City adults say their health is fair or poor. No town among the 768 in Illinois we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Central City. 20% of Central City adults report frequent physical distress.
| Central City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 18% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Central City | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33.1% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 14.6% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 26.7% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Central City has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Central City for work: only 2% work in town. The average trip to work in Central City is 16 minutes. Jobs based in Central City grew to 205 in 2023, 75 more than in 2013.
| Central City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Central City faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Central City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Central City
Central City has chilly winters and warm summers. Central City’s July high is 88°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Central City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lions Park | 0.4 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Central City
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Central City
About 3 of every 100 Central City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
98% of working residents leave Central City for work
Where Central City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Central City
Village in Illinois, United States
Central City is a village in Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,098 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
Questions about Central City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Central City, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.