Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Among 769 Illinois towns, just 6 have a lower January low than German Valley. German Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 144 in 1910, 433 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 2 maps from 1922 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in German Valley, 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 German Valley.
Most working residents leave German Valley for work: only 3% work in town. 6.6% of residents live below the poverty line in German Valley, near the Illinois town median (8.4%) and below the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The top destinations are Freeport (25%), Rockford (14%) and Ridott (4%).
| German Valley | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical German Valley home is worth about $227,000, up 12.4% in a year, 23% below the Illinois typical home. At $904 a month, German Valley’s median rent is below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| German Valley | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $904 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
German Valley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 12° and about 35 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (39% statewide); children under 18 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). German Valley’s median age is 36.4 years. German Valley has lost 3.5% of its people since 2020, down to 417 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| German Valley | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.4 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 29% | 29% |
Somewhere between 23% and 62% women
The Census survey reached too few of German Valley’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±19.5 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| German Valley | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.6% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.6% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.7% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.1% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.4% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.4% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.8% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.1% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
German Valley beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of adults binge drink in German Valley.
| German Valley | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | German Valley | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.2% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around German Valley. Close and well known come first.
20 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
26 mi National Historic SiteRonald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site
22 mi GardenAnderson Japanese Gardens
26 mi MuseumJohn Deere House and Shop
16 mi MuseumChana School
19 mi GardenKlehm Arboretum and Botanic GardenBMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site: Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Anderson Japanese Gardens: M. Readey, CC BY-SA 3.0 · John Deere House and Shop: IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5 · Chana School: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin), CC BY 2.5 · Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden: KlehmArboretum, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of German Valley
About 2 of every 100 German Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where German Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
German Valley is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. German Valley is located four miles south of U.S. Route 20 between Freeport and Rockford. German Valley had a population of 433 at the 2020 census, with a 2023 estimate of 424.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
German Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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