Town of, 2010
Onarga’s story
172 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,061 in 1880, 1,333 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
- 1854Onarga is settled
OnargaIL
Population
1,305
2025 Census estimate · −3.4% since 2020
Typical home
$149K
−1.6% in a year
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
42.3
years
Jobs based here
351
A commuter town
Is Onarga a good place to live?
Onarga’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a C for health. Among 340 Illinois towns, just 2 have a lower property crime rate than Onarga. Onarga's schools rank ahead of 68% of Illinois towns. Among 769 Illinois towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Onarga. The biggest park or preserve is Durham Park, at 20 acres. Onarga has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Onarga stand out
Where Onarga beats most towns.
Typical home value
Onarga$149K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA
2.3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 92% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Onarga4.9
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA
46% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1854
A long history
A history going back 172 years.
Small town
1,305 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Onarga grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Onarga is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →HealthLess healthy than 70% of U.S. towns; Iroquois Memorial Hospital 15 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & income$78K median household income; 351 jobs based hereC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.1 of 20; 3.2% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsCOpen →History3 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life4.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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 42.3; 9% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Onarga: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Onarga, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOnarga water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Onarga’s trash rules yet
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 hereIroquois County ClerkIroquois County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6095560955 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 Onarga.
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Onarga are worth about $149K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Onarga home is worth about $149,000, down 1.6% in a year, 50% below the Illinois typical home. 89% of Onarga households own their home, above both Illinois’ towns (75%) and U.S. towns (73%). The median rent in Onarga is $941 a month.
$149KZillow home value
| Onarga | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $941 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Onarga$149K
Illinois$296K
−1.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Onarga’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Onarga for work: only 6% work in town. At 19 minutes, Onarga’s average trip to work is below both the Illinois town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Gilman (18%), Onarga Township (5%) and Kankakee (4%).
6%work in town
| Onarga | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Onarga6%
Gilman18%
Onarga Township5%
Kankakee4%
Watseka4%
27 mi
median commute distance
351
jobs based in Onarga
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Onarga stands out in Illinois and nationally, with more of its adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance
75% of adults had a checkup this year in Onarga. Onarga beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 22% of adults worry about having enough food in Onarga.
30%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Onarga | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Onarga | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 18.2% | 9.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.7% | 10.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.6% | 15.9% |
Iroquois Memorial Hospital
15 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Onarga has four seasons and pleasant summers
Onarga has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 17° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer61–84°
Fall43–65°
Oct 16
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Onarga faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in Onarga
Onarga's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. Onarga’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Onarga0
Illinois3.2
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Onarga0
Illinois17.9
U.S.19.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2023
0
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
2%conserved
2%
conserved · 21 of 1,063 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Durham Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Onarga
19pages on Onarga
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 68% of IL districtsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthCBetter than IL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$149K typical home · down 1.6% in a yearWork & commuteC+$78K median household income · 351 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 64% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Onarga; the nearest are
Kankakee Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Kankakee27.7 mi$5,220 in-state tuitionUniversity of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUniversity or college · Public · Champaign43.7 mi$16,004 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Onarga residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Onarga for work
Where Onarga’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
351jobs based in Onarga
6%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Onarga
3 notable people were born in Onarga.
About Onarga
Village in Illinois, United States
Onarga is a village in Onarga Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,333 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1854
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 669 ft
- ZIP code
- 60955
Questions about Onarga
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Onarga, 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 Onarga, IL known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Shane Cultra and Jack Crangle.