Alexis Phelps House · National Register of Historic Places
Oquawka’s story
190 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1836Oquawka is settled
OquawkaIL
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
1,065
2025 Census estimate · −6.3% since 2020
Typical home
$104K
+0.6% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
49.8
years
Jobs based here
253
A commuter town
Is Oquawka a good place to live?
The best of Oquawka’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for history and civic life; the weakest is a D for schools. 31% of residents are 65 or older in Oquawka, above both the Illinois town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). On hazard risk, just 18 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. The median household income is $54K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. On the outdoors, just 39 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Alexis Phelps House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Oquawka has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Oquawka stand out
Where Oquawka beats most towns.
Typical home value
Oquawka$104K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA+
1.7 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 98% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Alexis Phelps HouseHistoryA−
Settled in 1836
1 place on the National Register
A history going back 190 years.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Oquawka6.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA−
2 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
A shrinking town
Oquawka has shrunk 23% since 2010
1,371 counted in 2010 and 1,134 in 2020; an estimated 1,065 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Oquawka grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Oquawka is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsBehind 95% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 84% of U.S. towns; Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center 14.5 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 6.8% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History1 place on the National Register; 4 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life6.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Oquawka: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oquawka, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOquawka water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Oquawka’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 hereHenderson County ClerkHenderson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6146961469 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 Oquawka.
HousingCost of living grade A+
The median rent in Oquawka is lower than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
Oquawka’s median rent is $445 a month, against $1,129 a month in Illinois’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 86% of Oquawka households own their home. The typical Oquawka home is worth about $104,000, up 0.6% in a year, 65% below the Illinois typical home.
$104KZillow home value
| Oquawka | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $445 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Oquawka$104K
Illinois$296K
+0.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC−
Oquawka stands out in Illinois and nationally: a larger share of its adults have high blood pressure
44% of adults have high blood pressure in Oquawka. Oquawka beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 42% of adults have obesity in Oquawka.
16%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Oquawka | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better17 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Oquawka | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.9% | 75.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.5% | 10.3% |
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center
14.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Oquawka faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 53 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oquawka.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtHail
53
paid flood claims since 1979
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Oquawka’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Oquawka for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Oquawka grew to 253 in 2023, 42 more than in 2013. Oquawka’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
11%work in town
| Oquawka | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Oquawka11%
Burlington11%
Monmouth9%
West Burlington6%
Peoria4%
17 mi
median commute distance
253
jobs based in Oquawka
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Oquawka, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Oquawka has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 15° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–35°
Spring41–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall43–64°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oquawka
18pages on Oquawka
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Oquawka
About 0 of every 100 Oquawka residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Small town
1,065 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Oquawka TownshipOquawka
Famous people from Oquawka
4 notable people were born in Oquawka.
About Oquawka
Village in Illinois, United States
Oquawka is a village and the county seat of Henderson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,134 at the 2020 census. Oquawka is part of the Burlington micropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 562 ft
- ZIP code
- 61469
Questions about Oquawka
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Oquawka, 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 Oquawka, IL known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Charles Lincoln Edwards and James McKinney.