Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of La Harpe’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life and an A for history; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 7 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on cost of living. La Harpe's public schools trail 68% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. On incomes, just 86 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Only 35 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life. La Harpe has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them LaHarpe Historic District and LaHarpe City Hall. La Harpe has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where La Harpe beats most towns.
LaHarpe Historic DistrictIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far La Harpe is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 958 in 1880, a peak of 1,591 in 1900, 1,175 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1916 and 2 maps from 1918 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in La Harpe, 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 La Harpe.
The typical La Harpe home is worth about $101,000, up 10.1% in a year, 66% below the Illinois typical home. 85% of La Harpe households own their home, where Illinois’ towns sit at 75% and U.S. towns at 73%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave La Harpe for work: only 10% work in town. La Harpe’s median household income is $49,000, against $83,000 in Illinois’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Since 2013, La Harpe has lost 102 jobs, to 168 in 2023.
| La Harpe | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
La Harpe beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 40% of La Harpe adults have high blood pressure.
| La Harpe | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | La Harpe | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 66.8% | 60.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
La Harpe has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 16° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mayor Memorial Park | — | 14 |
| 2. La Harpe City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of La Harpe; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 La Harpe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where La Harpe’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in La Harpe on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in La Harpe.
City in Illinois, United States
La Harpe is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,175 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
6 notable people were born here, including Olan Soule and Olive Oatman.
