Lost Nation, IL Franklin Grove Fire Dept 01, 2007
Lost Nation’s story
Lost Nation in pictures
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Lost NationIL
With 714 residents, it is a town in Illinois.
Photo: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin) · CC BY 2.5
Population
714
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$236K
Census ACS
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
57.6
years
Jobs based here
32
A commuter town
Is Lost Nation a good place to live?
Lost Nation’s age of the median resident is 57.6 years, above both the Illinois town median (40.7 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). No town among the 769 in Illinois we compare has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Lost Nation. Nachusa Grasslands, at 249 acres with 1.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Lost Nation has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
714 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Lost Nation: who provides what
Lost Nation is unincorporated, so Ogle County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLost Lake Utility DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesOgle CountyOgle County provides services here
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 hereOgle County ClerkOgle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6102161021 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 Lost Nation.
Who lives here
A older population than Illinois as a whole
People 65 and older are 40% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 10% of residents (22% statewide). For adults 25 and older in Lost Nation, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 38%.
57.6median age · IL 39
Lost NationIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
28%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school15%
Some college39%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.6 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 87% are women (IL 59%).
| Lost Nation | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.8% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.2% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 27.6% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 14.5% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 39.2% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.9% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.2% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.2% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
Lost Nation stands out in Illinois and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
Half of commuters travel less than 25 miles. In Lost Nation, the middle household income is $109,000. The top destinations are Dixon (10%), Rockford (8%) and Oregon (7%).
0%work in town
| Lost Nation | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Lost Nation0%
Dixon10%
Rockford8%
Oregon7%
Rochelle7%
25 mi
median commute distance
32
jobs based in Lost Nation
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Outdoors
16% of Lost Nation is conserved land
For Lost Nation, the trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile. Across 1 park or preserve: 3.0 miles of trail.
16%conserved
16%
conserved · 259 of 1,624 acres
3.0 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nachusa Grasslands | 1.6 mi | 249 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Lost Nation: four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 84° in July, and January nights bottom out around 13°; snowfall runs to about 32 inches a winter. Lost Nation brings cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–33°
Spring38–60°
Summer60–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Lost Nation’s adults had a checkup this year than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
Among adults in Lost Nation, 39% have obesity. This Illinois town beats the Illinois average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. In Lost Nation, 14% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 30% feel lonely.
| Lost Nation | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 78% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
9 better15 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Lost Nation | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.7% | 7.6% |
OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center
7.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Lost Nation is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Lost Nation, 65% come from inland flooding and 11% from tornadoes. On expected storm and flood damage, Lost Nation sits above 58% of U.S. communities.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
$365Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lost Nation. Close and well known come first.
8 mi National Historic SiteRonald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site
28 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
8 mi MuseumJohn Deere House and Shop
32 mi TheatreEgyptian Theatre, DeKalb
31 mi GardenAnderson Japanese Gardens
32 mi MuseumEllwood HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site: Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · John Deere House and Shop: IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5 · Egyptian Theatre, DeKalb: Andy McMurray, CC BY 2.5 · Anderson Japanese Gardens: M. Readey, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ellwood House: Paul R. Burley, CC0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lost Nation
16pages on Lost Nation
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lost Nation
About 2 of every 100 Lost Nation residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Lost Nation for work
Where Lost Nation’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
32jobs based in Lost Nation
0%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Lost Nation
Lost Nation, Illinois is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. It is located south of the city of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, Lost Nation had a population of 714. Lost Nation has an area of 2.552 square miles (6.61 km2); 2.441 square miles (6.32 km2) of this is land, and 0.111 square miles (0.29 km2) is water. Lost Nation has a golf course called "Lost Nation Golf Course".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Area code
- 815
Questions about Lost Nation
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lost Nation, IL a good place to live?
Lost Nation has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.