Colona, Illinois, 2023
Colona’s story
120 years in pictures
Census counts: 217 in 1910, 5,045 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 4 maps from 1937 on.
- 1906Colona is settled
ColonaIL
A town of 4,938, settled in 1906.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,938
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Typical home
$186K
+6.8% in a year
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
565
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#189 of 767 in IL
Is Colona a good place to live?
Colona gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $186K, 2.6 years of the Davenport metro’s $73K median household income. It grades A− overall, 189th of 767 graded towns in Illinois. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 69% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, the median household earns $80K. On history, just 107 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, at 105 acres. 3.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Colona, against 8.4% in Illinois’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
What makes Colona stand out
Where Colona beats most towns.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Colona for work
Where Colona’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
565jobs based in Colona
5%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Colona grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Colona is from typical.
Jobs & income565 jobs based hereAOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →HealthGenesis Medical Center-Illini 4.4 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsBeat 62% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationBOpen →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 4% conserved landBOpen →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.7; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Colona: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Colona, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterColona East water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Colona’s trash rules yet
SchoolsUnited Township High School District 30Geneseo Community Unit School District 228Colona School District 1903 districts serve Colona; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereHenry County ClerkHenry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP code6124161241 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 Colona.
Colona pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Illinois norm, sends many workers across the state line to Davenport and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
HousingCost of living grade A
Colona’s grade for cost of living is an A
Colona grades A− overall with a typical home of about $186K, below the Illinois typical value; only 48 of the 183 Illinois towns graded A− or better can say that.
Colona’s median rent is $838 a month. Typical home values rose 6.8% in the year to September 2026.
$186KZillow home value
| Colona | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $838 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Colona$186K
Illinois$296K
+6.8%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most working residents commute out of Colona
28% of working residents cross a state line to work, Davenport among the top destinations. Colona has 565 jobs for its 2,245 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Colona for work: only 5% work in town. The average trip to work in Colona is 23 minutes. The top destinations are Moline (13%), Davenport (12%) and East Moline (10%).
5%work in town
| Colona | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Colona5%
Moline13%
Davenport12%
East Moline10%
Rock Island8%
11 mi
median commute distance
565
jobs based in Colona
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 36% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Residents of Colona are healthier than 68% of U.S. towns
Colona beats the Illinois average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of Colona adults binge drink.
68%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Colona | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Colona | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.5% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6% | 7.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.6% | 7.6% |
Genesis Medical Center-Illini
4.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
54th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Colona faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Since 1979, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Colona.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windTornadoes
14
paid flood claims since 1979
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Colona has four seasons and pleasant summers
Colona has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 15° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring40–61°
Summer63–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
3.6%conserved
| Colona | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
3.6%
conserved · 89 of 2,492 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park | 0.1 mi | 105 |
| 2. Timbrook Field | — | 8 |
| 3. W. Gerard Huiskamp Family Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyB−
Colona reports less crime per resident than 51% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 106 to 64 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
51%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Colona1.4
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Colona11.5
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
51st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
41st
percentile among IL towns
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
57
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Rock Island Arsenal and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Colona. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Ancient siteRock Island Arsenal
12 mi MuseumBlack Hawk State Historic Site
13 mi MuseumFigge Art Museum77K visitors a year6 mi Zoo & aquariumNiabi Zoo
15 mi MuseumPutnam Museum
14 mi GardenVander Veer Botanical ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Rock Island Arsenal: Robert A, Ryan, J. Ceronia, and Bruce A. Harms, Photographers, Public domain · Black Hawk State Historic Site: Bill Whittaker (talk). Original uploader was Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Figge Art Museum: Ctjf83, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Putnam Museum: Ctjf83 of English Wikipedia (log), Public domain · Vander Veer Botanical Park: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Colona
20pages on Colona
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 62% of IL districtsSafetyB−1.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than IL on 4 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$186K typical home · up 6.8% in a yearWork & commuteA$80K median household income · 565 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 69% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Colona
Black Hawk CollegeCommunity college · Public · Moline6 mi$4,920 in-state tuitionAugustana CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Rock Island11.5 mi$51,598 tuitionOrion Technical CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Davenport, IA11.8 mi$15,600 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Colona residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
About Colona
City in Illinois, United States
Colona is a city in Henry County, Illinois, along the Green River. It is part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area. The population was 5,045 at the 2020 Census. The City of Colona was created in 1997 by the merger of the former City of Green Rock and the former Village of Colona. It was the first community in Illinois to merge by popular vote.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 679 ft
- ZIP code
- 61241
- Area code
- 309
Colona’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Colona.
Edford TownshipHanna TownshipColona
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colona | #189 | A− | A | B− | B | B+ |
| Edford Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hanna Township | — | — | B | — | A− | B+ |
Hanna Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Hanna Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Edford Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Colona with a neighbor →
Questions about Colona
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Colona, IL a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Colona grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #189 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B+ for health, B− for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Colona, 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.