Hillcrest1, 2007
Hillcrest’s story
66 years in pictures
Census counts: 224 in 1960, 1,224 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1952 on.
- 1960Hillcrest is settled
HillcrestIL
A town of 1,210, settled in 1960.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Andy McMurray · CC BY 2.5
Population
1,210
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Median home value
$164K
Census ACS
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
37.8
years
Jobs based here
236
A commuter town
Is Hillcrest a good place to live?
The best of Hillcrest’s subject grades is a B for cost of living; the weakest is a C for walkability. 14% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Hillcrest, against 29% in Illinois’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Hillcrest's schools rank behind 71% of the state's. Only 63 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on history. Hillcrest's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns. Hillcrest has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,210 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
RochelleFlagg TownshipWhite Rock TownshipHillcrest
How Hillcrest grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Hillcrest is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $164K, 2 years of the Rochelle area’s $82K median household incomeBOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →HealthRochelle Community Hospital 2.7 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landC−Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life0.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hillcrest: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hillcrest, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHillcrest water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offNorthern Illinois Disposal, 3 miOpenStreetMap
SchoolsRochelle Township High School District 212Rochelle Community Consolidated District 231Kings Consolidated School District 1443 districts serve Hillcrest; 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 hereOgle County ClerkOgle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6106861068 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 Hillcrest.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Hillcrest has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Hillcrest for work: only 3% work in town. Hillcrest’s average trip to work is 21 minutes, below both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Hillcrest has added 41 jobs, to 236 in 2023.
3%work in town
| Hillcrest | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Hillcrest3%
Rochelle31%
Rockford8%
DeKalb6%
Chicago6%
16 mi
median commute distance
236
jobs based in Hillcrest
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Hillcrest
Hillcrest has cold winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 13° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Hillcrest
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Hillcrest since 1996.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1996
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Residents of Hillcrest are healthier than 50% of U.S. towns
Hillcrest tracks Illinois closely on all 32 CDC measures. 20% of adults binge drink in Hillcrest.
50%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Hillcrest | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Rochelle Community Hospital
2.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC−
Hillcrest has set aside 0.2% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.2%conserved
0.2%
conserved · 4 of 2,257 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Powers Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B
Homes in Hillcrest sell for about $271K
82% of Hillcrest households own their home.
$271Kmedian sale price
| Hillcrest | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,295 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 35 attractions →Illinois Railway Museum and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hillcrest. Close and well known come first.
33 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
21 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
16 mi TheatreEgyptian Theatre, DeKalb
23 mi National Historic SiteRonald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site
22 mi GardenAnderson Japanese Gardens
16 mi MuseumEllwood HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · Egyptian Theatre, DeKalb: Andy McMurray, CC BY 2.5 · 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 · Ellwood House: Paul R. Burley, CC0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hillcrest
18pages on Hillcrest
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hillcrest
About 8 of every 100 Hillcrest residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Hillcrest for work
Where Hillcrest’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
236jobs based in Hillcrest
3%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Hillcrest
Village in Illinois, United States
Hillcrest is a village located in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The 2020 census lists its population at 1,224, down from 1,236 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 830 ft
Questions about Hillcrest
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hillcrest, IL expensive?
The typical home is worth about $164,000, 45% below the Illinois typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.