Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A typical home costs 2 years of the county’s $60K median household income.
The best of Louisville’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for history; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Louisville, above both Illinois’ towns (8.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 8 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Louisville's public schools trail 91% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. Louisville has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Clay County Jail and Clay County Courthouse. Louisville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Louisville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Clay County Jail| Widest gap | Louisville | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.9% | 10.3% |
In 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 Louisville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Louisville, 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 Louisville.
At $581 a month, Louisville’s median rent is below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 55% of Louisville households own their home. Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026.
| Louisville | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $581 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Louisville. Louisville beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 30% of adults get no exercise outside work in Louisville.
| Louisville | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Louisville | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.9% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 20.6% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Louisville has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Louisville is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Louisville for work: only 10% work in town. Louisville’s median household income is $44,000. Jobs based in Louisville grew to 541 in 2023, 78 more than in 2013.
| Louisville | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Louisville; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Louisville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
2 places in Louisville on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Louisville.
Village in Illinois, United States
Louisville ( LOO-iss-vil) is a village in and the county seat of Clay County, Illinois, United States, along the Little Wabash River. The population was 1,136 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Bailey Zimmerman and Darren Bailey.
