Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hanover has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Hanover beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 459 in 1880, a peak of 1,643 in 1950, 863 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1970 and a map from 1968 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hanover, 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 Hanover.
Among households in Hanover, 64% live in a home they own. In the year to September 2026, typical home values slipped 4.9%. Also worth knowing: its going rate for rent comes in at $705 a month.
| Hanover | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $705 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs in Hanover fell by 127 from 2013 to 2023, to 36. Just over a fifth of Hanover residents live below the poverty line, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. In Hanover, 3% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Galena (15%), Elizabeth Township (8%) and Dubuque (7%).
| Hanover | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
No violent or property crimes were reported in Hanover in 2025. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Hanover is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
For adults in Hanover, the share who have high blood pressure is 39%. Against the Illinois average, Hanover comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 9. 15% of Hanover adults report frequent physical distress, above both Illinois’ towns (13%) and U.S. towns (14%).
| Hanover | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hanover | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 75.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Hanover once, in 2010. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 54% of U.S. communities. The town has had one paid flood insurance claim since 2011. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 55% come from inland flooding and 13% from tornadoes.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. White Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Speer Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hanover. Close and well known come first.
17 mi MountainCharles Mound14 mi MuseumChicago Athenaeum
26 mi MuseumNational Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium250K visitors a year
5 mi MuseumApple River Fort
26 mi TheatreFive Flags Center26 mi MuseumDubuque Museum of ArtCharles Mound: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Apple River Fort: IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Five Flags Center: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Hanover; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Hanover residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Hanover’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Hanover is a village in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States, along the Apple River. The town was previously named Wapello, in honor of Chief Wapello of the Meskwaki tribe. The population was 863 at the 2020 cenus, up from 844 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hanover has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Benjamin F. Fowler and Orrin Augustine White.
