A WALL IN, 1973
Ladd’s story
138 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,324 in 1900, a peak of 2,040 in 1920, 1,263 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1973 and 4 maps from 1893 on.
- 1888Ladd is settled
Population
1,384
2025 Census estimate · +9.7% since 2020
Typical home
$153K
+8.2% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
37.5
years
Jobs based here
138
A commuter town
Is Ladd a good place to live?
The best of Ladd’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for walkability. Ladd’s average trip to work is 17 minutes, below both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Ladd's schools rank behind 76% of the state's. Ladd has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Ladd stand out
Where Ladd beats most towns.
Small town
1,384 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Ladd grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Ladd is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 2.1% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthCarle Health Proctor Hospital 5.2 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC+Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life2.4 library visits per resident; 3.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.5; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ladd: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ladd, and how to reach them.
PowerVillage of LaddEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterLadd water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
SchoolsHall High School District 502Ladd Community Consolidated School District 942 districts serve Ladd; 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 hereBureau County ClerkBureau County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6132961329 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 Ladd.
HousingCost of living grade A
Ladd’s typical home value is about $153K
The typical Ladd home is worth about $153,000, up 8.2% in a year, 48% below the Illinois typical home. Ladd’s median rent is $778 a month, where Illinois’ towns sit at $1,129 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
$153KZillow home value
| Ladd | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $778 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Ladd$153K
Illinois$296K
+8.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Most of Ladd’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Ladd for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Ladd has lost 21 jobs, to 138 in 2023. The median household income in Ladd is $67,000.
2%work in town
| Ladd | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Ladd2%
Spring Valley17%
Peru15%
LaSalle5%
Ottawa4%
12 mi
median commute distance
138
jobs based in Ladd
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Ladd faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Ladd since 1978.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 1978
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Ladd, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Ladd has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Ladd is less healthy than 60% of U.S. towns
Ladd beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 16% of adults smoke cigarettes in Ladd.
40%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Ladd | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better25 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Ladd | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.5% | 10.3% |
| More smokers | 16% | 12.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6.3% |
Carle Health Proctor Hospital
5.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Safety
Crime reported in Ladd
Ladd's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. Ladd’s property crime rate is 2.1 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Ladd | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Ladd0
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Ladd2.1
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
3
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ladd
18pages on Ladd
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 76% of IL districtsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than IL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$153K typical home · up 8.2% in a yearWork & commuteB−$67K median household income · 138 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ladd
About 2 of every 100 Ladd residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Ladd for work
Where Ladd’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
138jobs based in Ladd
2%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ladd
Village in Illinois, United States
Ladd is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,236 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. Ladd is perhaps most known for a Vietnam War tank located in the center of its park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 61329
Questions about Ladd
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ladd, IL expensive?
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.