Is Dakota a good place to live?
33% of residents are under 18 in Dakota, where Illinois’ towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. Among 769 Illinois towns, just 6 have a lower January low than Dakota. Dakota has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
480 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Dakota: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dakota, 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 Dakota.
Most of Dakota’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Dakota for work: only 3% work in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Dakota, above both Illinois’ towns (8.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The median household income in Dakota is $56,000.
| Dakota | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Dakota
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Dakota has four seasons and pleasant summers
Dakota has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Dakota’s July high is 83°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Dakota is
Dakota beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of Dakota adults binge drink.
| Dakota | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Dakota | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.3% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.8% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Dakota has set aside 5.1% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dakota Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median rent in Dakota is lower than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
58% of households own their home in Dakota.
| Dakota | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $656 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Dakota
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Dakota
About 13 of every 100 Dakota residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
97% of working residents leave Dakota for work
Where Dakota’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Dakota
Village in Illinois, United States
Dakota is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 500 at the 2020 census, down from 506 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 945 ft
- ZIP code
- 61018
- Area code
- 815
Questions about Dakota
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dakota, IL a good place to live?
Dakota has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.