Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 508, settled in 1873.
Grand Ridge’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, against 26 minutes in Illinois’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Grand Ridge 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: 135 in 1880, a peak of 698 in 1970, 515 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and a map from 1925 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grand Ridge, 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 Grand Ridge.
Most working residents leave Grand Ridge for work: only 3% work in town. 15% of Grand Ridge residents live below the poverty line, above both Illinois’ towns (8.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Jobs based in Grand Ridge grew to 123 in 2023, 90 more than in 2013.
| Grand Ridge | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Grand Ridge has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 16° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Grand Ridge home is worth about $248,000, up 5.6% in a year, 16% below the Illinois typical home. 85% of households own their home in Grand Ridge.
| Grand Ridge | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,023 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No violent or property crimes were reported in Grand Ridge in 2024. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Grand Ridge is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Grand Ridge beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of Grand Ridge adults binge drink.
| Grand Ridge | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 23% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Grand Ridge | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.7% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Grand Ridge
About 8 of every 100 Grand Ridge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Grand Ridge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Grand Ridge.
Village in Illinois, United States
Grand Ridge is a village in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 515 at the 2020 census, down from 560 in 2010. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Grand Ridge has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
4 notable people were born here, including John Huston Finley and Bill Essick.
