CowdenIL
A town of 497, settled in 1872.
Is Cowden a good place to live?
35% of residents are under 18 in Cowden, above both Illinois’ towns (22%) and U.S. towns (22%). Among 769 Illinois towns, just 6 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Cowden. Cowden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
497 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Cowden: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cowden, 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 Cowden.
Homes in Cowden are worth about $156K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Cowden home is worth about $156,000, down 1% in a year, 47% below the Illinois typical home. At $698 a month, Cowden’s median rent is below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 64% of Cowden households own their home.
| Cowden | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $698 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most of Cowden’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Cowden for work: only 0% work in town. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Cowden. Jobs based in Cowden fell to 38 in 2023, 105 fewer than in 2013.
| Cowden | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Cowden, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Cowden has chilly winters and warm summers. Cowden’s July high is 87°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Crime reported in Cowden
No violent or property crimes were reported in Cowden in 2024. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Cowden is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
How healthy Cowden is
Cowden beats the Illinois average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Cowden | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| What stands out | Cowden | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.7% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Moderate risk in Cowden, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Cowden
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cowden; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Cowden residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
100% of working residents leave Cowden for work
Where Cowden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Cowden
Village in Illinois, United States
Cowden is a village in Shelby County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cowden had a population of 515.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 597 ft
- ZIP code
- 62422
- Area code
- 217
Questions about Cowden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cowden, IL a good place to live?
Cowden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.