Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
LaSalle grades B overall, 438th of 767 graded towns in Illinois, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 93% of U.S. towns and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $58K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $140K, 1.9 years of the Ottawa area’s $72K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. Only 44 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on history. LaSalle's public schools trail 72% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation.
Where LaSalle beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far LaSalle is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Hegeler-Carus Mansion is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 3,993 in 1860, a peak of 13,149 in 1930, 9,582 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers and 6 maps from 1893 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in LaSalle, 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 LaSalle.
LaSalle is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has homes that are cheap against local pay and has commutes shorter than most of Illinois.
LaSalle’s property crime rate is 2.2 per 1,000 residents, below both the Illinois town median (7.9) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9).
| LaSalle | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 1.9 years of the Ottawa area’s $72K median household income, the typical home (about $140K) costs less against local pay than in 82% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $2,510, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Typical home values rose 7% in the year to September 2026. 65% of households own their home in LaSalle, against 75% in Illinois’ towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
| LaSalle | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,045 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in LaSalle.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| LaSalle | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hegeler Park | — | 14 |
| 2. Mattheissen Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Pulaski Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
LaSalle has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,229 U.S. towns with household incomes like LaSalle’s, it is healthier than 61%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
LaSalle beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 35% of LaSalle adults feel lonely.
| LaSalle | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | LaSalle | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.2% | 10.3% |
| More smokers | 15.8% | 12.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 4,291 working residents takes 20.2 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
Most working residents leave LaSalle for work: only 11% work in town. The average trip to work in LaSalle is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Peru (17%), Ottawa (7%) and Chicago (4%).
| LaSalle | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of LaSalle
About 4 of every 100 LaSalle residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
6 places in LaSalle on the National Register of Historic Places.
14 notable people were born in LaSalle.
City in Illinois, United States
La Salle or LaSalle is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally platted in 1837 over one square mile (2.6 square kilometers), the city's boundaries have grown to 12 sq mi (31 km2). Named in honor of 17th century Illinois valley explorer, the Sieur de La Salle, city boundaries extend from the Illinois River and Illinois and Michigan Canal to a mile north of Interstate 80 and from the city of Peru on the west to the village of North Utica on the east. Starved Rock State Park is located approximately 5 mi (8 km) to the east. The population was 9,582 as of the 2…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with LaSalle.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle | #438 | B | B | A | C | C+ |
| Peru · Peru Township | #387 | B | B+ | C+ | B− | B |
| North Utica | — | — | C+ | A | B | B+ |
| LaSalle Township | #600 | C | B+ | — | C− | B− |
| Dimmick Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Utica Township | — | — | B | — | B− | B |
North Utica and Utica Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. LaSalle Township and Utica Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Dimmick Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Peru Township and Peru are one community, graded once. Compare LaSalle with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. LaSalle grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #438 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C+ for health, A for safety and C for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
14 notable people were born here, including Lynden Evans and Albert C. Martin, Sr..
