Kempton, Illinois, 2018
Kempton’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 114 in 1880, a peak of 409 in 1900, 176 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2018 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
- 1869Kempton is settled
KemptonIL
A town of 176, settled in 1869.
Population
176
2025 Census estimate · −1.1% since 2020
Typical home
$180K
+8.2% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
11
A commuter town
Is Kempton a good place to live?
Kempton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
176 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Kempton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kempton, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKempton water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers84% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Kempton’s trash rules yet
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 hereFord County ClerkFord County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code6094660946 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 Kempton.
Housing
A typical Kempton home is worth about $180K
The rent at the middle of the market in Kempton is $963 a month. 94% of Kempton households are owner-occupiers, where Illinois’ towns sit at 75% and U.S. towns at 73%. Home values are up 8.2% over the year to September 2026.
$180KZillow home value
| Kempton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 94% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $963 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Kempton$180K
Illinois$296K
+8.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
The average trip to work in Kempton is longer than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
For half of commuters, work is under 30 miles away. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Kempton. The top destinations are Piper City (9%), Pontiac (5%) and Fairbury (3%).
0%work in town
| Kempton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Kempton0%
Piper City9%
Pontiac5%
Fairbury3%
Gibson City3%
30 mi
median commute distance
11
jobs based in Kempton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Kempton has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Kempton’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 73 of 100, above both Illinois’ towns (50 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). 66% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 14%. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 1999.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Kempton brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 23 inches of snow a winter.
23″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring40–62°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–64°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Kempton is
Kempton: 17% of adults smoke cigarettes. Two figures for adults here: 19% binge drink, 15% report frequent physical distress.
| Kempton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better26 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Kempton | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 16.6% | 12.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.7% | 5.9% |
Riverside Medical Center
22.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kempton
17pages on Kempton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kempton; the nearest are
Kankakee Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Kankakee23 mi$5,220 in-state tuitionGovernors State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Park44.6 mi$12,004 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Kempton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Kempton for work
Where Kempton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
11jobs based in Kempton
0%of working residents work in town
30 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kempton
Village in Illinois, United States
Kempton is a village in Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 176 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 738 ft
- ZIP code
- 60946
Questions about Kempton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kempton, IL a good place to live?
Kempton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.