Colfax quadrangle, Illinois : 15 minute series, 1958
Colfax’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 105 in 1880, 996 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1958 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
- 1880Colfax is settled
ColfaxIL
A town of 973, settled in 1880.
Population
973
2025 Census estimate · −2.1% since 2020
Typical home
$177K
+6.6% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
221
A commuter town
Is Colfax a good place to live?
27% of residents are under 18 in Colfax, above both Illinois’ towns (22%) and U.S. towns (22%). Colfax’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Illinois’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Colfax has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
973 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 Colfax: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Colfax, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterColfax water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Colfax’s trash rules yet
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 hereMcLean County ClerkMcLean County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6172861728 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 Colfax.
Housing
A typical Colfax home is worth about $177K
The typical Colfax home is worth about $177,000, up 6.6% in a year, 40% below the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Colfax is $875 a month.
$177KZillow home value
| Colfax | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $875 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Colfax$177K
Illinois$296K
+6.6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Most of Colfax’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Colfax for work: only 9% work in town. Colfax’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. Since 2013, Colfax has lost 64 jobs, to 221 in 2023.
9%work in town
| Colfax | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Colfax9%
Bloomington31%
Normal13%
Gibson City4%
Peoria3%
20 mi
median commute distance
221
jobs based in Colfax
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Colfax
Colfax has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 17° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
Fall42–64°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
High risk in Colfax, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Colfax.
61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesDrought
8
paid flood claims since 1982
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in Colfax
No violent or property crimes were reported in Colfax in 2024. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Colfax is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
0
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Colfax is
Colfax beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 17% of Colfax adults smoke cigarettes.
| Colfax | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better26 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Colfax | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.4% | 9.9% |
| More smokers | 16.5% | 12.1% |
Gibson Community Hospital
14.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.3%conserved
3.3%
conserved · 12 of 352 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Octavia Park | 0.6 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Colfax
19pages on Colfax
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Colfax; the nearest are
Illinois State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Normal20 mi$16,144 in-state tuitionHeartland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Normal21.1 mi$5,550 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Colfax residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Colfax for work
Where Colfax’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
221jobs based in Colfax
9%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Colfax
Village in Illinois, United States
Colfax is a village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 996 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 758 ft
- ZIP code
- 61728
Questions about Colfax
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Colfax, IL a good place to live?
Colfax has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.