DaytonIL
A town of 271, settled in 1837.
Is Dayton a good place to live?
Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
271 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Dayton: who provides what
Dayton is unincorporated, so LaSalle County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Dayton.
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Dayton’s workers commute out
For half of commuters, work is under 21 miles away. The top destinations are Ottawa (17%), Peru (6%) and LaSalle (5%). Dayton’s income of the median household is $74,000, where Illinois’ towns sit at $83,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
| Dayton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Dayton stands out in Illinois and nationally: the median age there is higher
37% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Dayton, against 29% in Illinois’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Adults 18 to 34 are just over one in ten residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 50% of residents (39% statewide).
| Dayton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.5 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.8 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Dayton | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.6% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.1% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.9% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.5% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.2% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.5% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.9% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Dayton faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Dayton’s FEMA hazard score is 29 of 100. FEMA puts nearly three fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 17% to cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Dayton
Summer afternoons peak near 84° in July, and January nights bottom out around 15°; snowfall runs to about 24 inches a winter. Summers in Dayton are warm, and winters chilly.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Dayton is
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Dayton is ahead of Illinois on 6 and behind on 2. For adults here, the share who binge drink is 19%. Among adults here, 21% get no exercise outside work and 16% report frequent mental distress.
| Dayton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 23% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Dayton | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.5% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.5% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Dayton
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dayton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Dayton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
100% of working residents leave Dayton for work
Where Dayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Dayton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dayton, IL a good place to live?
Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.