Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Elmwood’s subject grades are an A− for cost of living, walkability, and health. Elmwood’s median rent is $713 a month, below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Only 15 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life. 11% of the land in Elmwood is conserved, where Illinois’ towns sit at 3.7% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 89 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on history. Elmwood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Elmwood beats most towns.
Pioneers, TheWhere Elmwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Elmwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,182 in 1860, 2,058 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1861 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elmwood, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Elmwood.
Elmwood beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of Elmwood adults get no exercise outside work.
| Elmwood | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 23% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Elmwood | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.9% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Elmwood home is worth about $189,000, up 4.8% in a year, 36% below the Illinois typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Elmwood for work: only 6% work in town. The top destinations are Peoria (34%), Farmington (6%) and East Peoria (4%). Half commute less than 20 miles.
| Elmwood | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 29% of residents (22% statewide). 38% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Elmwood. Elmwood has lost 2.2% of its people since 2020, down to 2,030 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Elmwood | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.2 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.4 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Elmwood | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.5% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.1% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.6% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.3% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.4% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.9% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.3% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.6% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.7% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.2% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Elmwood has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 16° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Sweetwater Park, at 25 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sweetwater Park | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Elmwood
About 4 of every 100 Elmwood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
7 notable people were born in Elmwood.
City in Illinois, United States
Elmwood is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Elmwood had a population of 2,058. Elmwood is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
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−.
7 notable people were born here, including Lorado Taft and L. R. Kershaw.