Entrée de ville de, 2010
Gardner’s story
171 years in pictures
Census counts: 940 in 1870, 1,366 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1874 and 3 maps from 1948 on.
- 1855Gardner is settled
GardnerIL
Population
1,366
2025 Census estimate · +0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$204K
−3.1% in a year
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
38.5
years
Jobs based here
364
A commuter town
Is Gardner a good place to live?
The best of Gardner’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for hazard risk. 12% of residents are 65 or older in Gardner, where Illinois’ towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 18%. On the outdoors, just 4 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Gardner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Gardner stand out
Where Gardner beats most towns.
Small town
1,366 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Garfield TownshipGreenfield TownshipGardner
How Gardner grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Gardner is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.9 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →HealthMorris Hospital & Healthcare Centers 13.5 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsBeat 54% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationB−Open →Jobs & income$88K median household income; 364 jobs based hereB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History2 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.5; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gardner: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gardner, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGardner water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gardner’s trash rules yet
SchoolsGardner Community Consolidated School District 72CGardner-South Wilmington Township High School District2 districts serve Gardner; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereGrundy County ClerkGrundy County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6042460424 100%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 Gardner.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Gardner has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Gardner for work: only 4% work in town. 16% of Gardner residents live below the poverty line, above both Illinois’ towns (8.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). The average trip to work in Gardner is 30 minutes.
4%work in town
| Gardner | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Gardner4%
Chicago10%
Morris6%
Joliet6%
Coal City3%
30 mi
median commute distance
364
jobs based in Gardner
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Gardner home is worth about $204K
The typical Gardner home is worth about $204,000, down 3.1% in a year, 31% below the Illinois typical home. Gardner’s median rent is $979 a month.
$204KZillow home value
| Gardner | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $979 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Gardner$204K
Illinois$296K
−3.1%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Gardner faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gardner.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
6
paid flood claims since 1998
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Gardner has four seasons and pleasant summers
Gardner has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 16° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.
23″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–35°
Spring40–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall43–64°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Gardner is less healthy than 57% of U.S. towns
Gardner beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 20% of Gardner adults binge drink.
43%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Gardner | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Gardner | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18% | 10.3% |
| More smokers | 16.1% | 12.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6.3% |
Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers
13.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gardner
18pages on Gardner
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gardner; the nearest are
Joliet Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Joliet22.2 mi$4,530 in-state tuitionGovernors State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Park35.5 mi$12,004 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Gardner residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Gardner for work
Where Gardner’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
364jobs based in Gardner
4%of working residents work in town
30 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Gardner
Village in Illinois, United States
Gardner is a village in Grundy County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,366 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 585 ft
- ZIP code
- 60424
Questions about Gardner
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gardner, IL expensive?
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−.
What is Gardner, IL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Lewis M. Long and Dutch Lonborg.