Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Chenoa’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and safety; the weakest is a C− for incomes. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Chenoa, above both the Illinois town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Chenoa has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Matthew T. Scott House. Chenoa has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Chenoa beats most towns.
Matthew T. Scott HouseWhere Chenoa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Chenoa is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,063 in 1880, 1,720 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and a map from 1986 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chenoa, 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 Chenoa.
Chenoa’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, below both Illinois’ towns (1) and U.S. towns (1.6).
| Chenoa | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Chenoa home is worth about $175,000, up 7.7% in a year, 41% below the Illinois typical home. Chenoa’s median rent is $876 a month.
| Chenoa | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $876 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Chenoa for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Chenoa grew to 264 in 2023, 53 more than in 2013. The median household income in Chenoa is $66,000.
| Chenoa | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Chenoa beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 32% of Chenoa adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Chenoa | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 23% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Chenoa | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.7% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.7% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Chenoa has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 16° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Chenoa.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The biggest park or preserve is Silliman Lake, at 22 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Silliman Lake | 0.6 mi | 22 |
| 2. George B. Ferree Field | — | 5 |
| 3. Main City Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Chenoa; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Chenoa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
8 notable people were born in Chenoa.
City in Illinois, United States
Chenoa is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2020 census. The city is located at the intersections of Interstate 55, Historic Route 66, and U.S. Route 24. Founded in 1854 by Matthew T. Scott, Chenoa was created to provide a retail and trade center for his farm tenants as well as a grain shipping facility. The Chenoa Centennial was celebrated in 1954. The town is situated in a highly productive agricultural area. The town school system closed at the end of the 2004 school year, consolidating with the nearby Prairie Central school district.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
8 notable people were born here, including Stan Albeck and Arthur Leesch.