Ladies public toilet, 1909
Lanark’s story
165 years in pictures
Census counts: 972 in 1870, 1,504 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 2 maps from 1942 on.
- 1861Lanark is settled
Population
1,452
2025 Census estimate · −3.9% since 2020
Typical home
$331K
+8.9% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
38.4
years
Jobs based here
354
A commuter town
Is Lanark a good place to live?
The best of Lanark’s subject grades are an A+ for safety, an A for cost of living, and an A− for schools; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 28 of Illinois’ 405 towns score higher on safety. Lanark is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. Among 769 Illinois towns, just 6 have a lower January low than Lanark. Lanark has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lanark stand out
Where Lanark beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lanark0
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
SafetyA+
No violent crime reported in 2025
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Typical home value
Lanark$331K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA
5.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 93% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 77% of U.S. towns
3.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Small town
1,452 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Lanark grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Lanark is from typical.
SafetyA+Open →Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsBeat 84% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Jobs & income354 jobs based hereC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 4.3% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthFHN Memorial Hospital 16.7 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC−Open →History3 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life2.7 library visits per resident; 6.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+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 38.4; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lanark: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lanark, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLanark water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereCarroll County ClerkCarroll County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6104661046 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 Lanark.
SafetyA+
Lanark is safer than 95% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident
At 1.4 per 1,000 residents, Lanark’s property crime rate is below both the Illinois town median (7.9) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). Lanark’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
95%of U.S. towns report more crimeA+Safety Grade
| Lanark | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 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
Lanark0
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lanark1.4
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
95th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Lanark’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Lanark for work: only 8% work in town. At $59,000, Lanark’s median household income is against $83,000 in Illinois’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. 13% of Lanark residents live below the poverty line.
8%work in town
| Lanark | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Lanark8%
Freeport17%
Shannon8%
Mount Carroll4%
Savanna4%
17 mi
median commute distance
354
jobs based in Lanark
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Lanark faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Lanark
Lanark has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall40–61°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Lanark are worth about $331K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Lanark home is worth about $331,000, up 8.9% in a year, 12% above the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Lanark is $819 a month.
$331KZillow home value
| Lanark | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $819 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lanark$331K
Illinois$296K
+8.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB−
Lanark is less healthy than 52% of U.S. towns
Lanark beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 33% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Lanark.
49%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Lanark | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
5 better23 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Lanark | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.1% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 6.3% |
FHN Memorial Hospital
16.7 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 Lanark
19pages on Lanark
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 84% of IL districtsSafetyA+0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than IL on 5 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$331K typical home · up 8.9% in a yearWork & commuteC−$59K median household income · 354 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lanark
About 9 of every 100 Lanark residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Lanark for work
Where Lanark’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
354jobs based in Lanark
8%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Lanark
3 notable people were born in Lanark.
About Lanark
Place in Illinois, United States
Lanark is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,504 at the 2020 census. The city was named after Lanark, in Scotland.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1861
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 879 ft
- ZIP code
- 61046
- Area code
- 815
Questions about Lanark
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lanark, 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.
What is Lanark, IL known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Charles S. Lobingier and Albert N. Jorgensen.