Downs Church, 2008
Downs’s story
166 years in pictures
Census counts: 295 in 1920, 1,201 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1860Downs is settled
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,173
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Typical home
$329K
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$111K
median
Median age
33.4
years
Jobs based here
414
A commuter town
Is Downs a good place to live?
Downs’ best subject grades are an A for schools, health, and civic life; its weakest is a C− for walkability. 40% of residents are under 18 in Downs, against 22% in Illinois’ towns and 22% across U.S. towns. On health, just 80 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns do better. On civic life, just 114 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns do better. Downs has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Downs stand out
Where Downs beats most towns.
32 measures vs. Illinois
16 better15 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Downs | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.3% | 10.3% |
HealthA
Healthier than 94% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Downs4.9
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA
46% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
A growing town
Downs has grown 17% since 2010
1,005 counted in 2010 and 1,201 in 2020; an estimated 1,173 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Downs grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Downs is from typical.
SchoolsBeat 94% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationAOpen →HealthSt. Joseph Medical Center 6.7 miles awayAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 2.1% of households have no car; 1.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$111K median household incomeB+Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesCOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landCOpen →HistoryLess recorded history than most townsCOpen →Civic life4.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Downs: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Downs, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDowns water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTrash dayTown site
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 codes61736, 6170561736 98% · 61705 2%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 Downs.
HealthA
Compared with most of Illinois and the rest of the country, fewer of Downs’ adults get no exercise outside work
12% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Downs. Among 768 Illinois towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Downs. CDC measures, 32 in all: Downs beats Illinois on 16 and trails on 1.
94%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Downs | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.5% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
16 better15 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Downs | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.3% | 10.3% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 71.6% | 75.7% |
St. Joseph Medical Center
6.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
About half of Downs’ working residents commute to Bloomington
Jobs in Downs grew by 174 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 414. Most people who work leave Downs to do it: just 3% work in town. The typical journey to work here is 20 minutes. The median commute is under 8 miles.
3%work in town
| Downs | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 18% | 11% | 11% |
| Median household income | $111,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Downs3%
Bloomington50%
Normal13%
Peoria4%
Heyworth2%
8 mi
median commute distance
414
jobs based in Downs
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 21% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Downs
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 85° on a July afternoon, with about 7 inches of snow a winter.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
Fall43–65°
Oct 16
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C
The typical home in Downs: about $329K
Typical home values rose 1.7% in the year to September 2026. The share of households in Downs who live in a home they own: 91%. Downs’ going rate for rent stands at $1,258 a month.
$329KZillow home value
| Downs | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 91% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,258 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Downs$329K
Illinois$296K
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Downs: inland flooding
46% of Downs’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 30%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
57risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
0.2% of the land in Downs is protected from building
Walkers can cover 0.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 5 acres in Downs.
0.2%conserved
| Downs | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.2%
conserved · 4 of 1,909 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dooley Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 33 attractions →Miller Park Zoo and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Downs. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Zoo & aquariumMiller Park Zoo
30 mi City parkRobert Allerton Park
30 mi MuseumMonticello Railway Museum
40 mi MuseumOctave Chanute Aerospace Museum39 mi Zoo & aquariumScovill Zoo7 mi MuseumPrairie Aviation Museum
30 mi City parkRobert Allerton Park30 mi MuseumMonticello Railway Museum40 mi MuseumOctave Chanute Aerospace Museum39 mi Zoo & aquariumScovill Zoo7 mi MuseumPrairie Aviation MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Robert Allerton Park: D. Finnigan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Monticello Railway Museum: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downs
18pages on Downs
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Downs
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bloomington8.3 mi$57,704 tuitionIllinois State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Normal9.3 mi$16,144 in-state tuitionHeartland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Normal11.4 mi$5,550 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Downs residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Small town
1,173 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Downs TownshipOld Town TownshipDowns
About Downs
Village in Illinois, United States
Downs is a village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,201 at the 2020 census, up from 1,005 in 2010. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1870
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 807 ft
- ZIP code
- 61736
Questions about Downs
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Downs, IL expensive?
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($79,905 across the Bloomington, IL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.