PalmerIL
A town of 199, settled in 1871.
Is Palmer a good place to live?
Only 3 of the 769 Illinois towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Palmer. Palmer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
199 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Palmer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Palmer, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Palmer.
Palmer’s typical home value is about $127K
The typical Palmer home is worth about $127,000, up 13.9% in a year, 57% below the Illinois typical home. Palmer’s median rent is $740 a month, below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 88% of households own their home in Palmer.
| Palmer | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $740 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Palmer’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Palmer for work: only 0% work in town. Palmer’s median household income is $50,000, against $83,000 in Illinois’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Springfield (22%), Taylorville (16%) and Decatur (8%).
| Palmer | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Palmer
Palmer has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Palmer is 87°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Palmer is
Palmer beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 18% of Palmer adults binge drink.
| Palmer | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Palmer | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.1% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 15.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Palmer faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Palmer
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Palmer; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Palmer residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
100% of working residents leave Palmer for work
Where Palmer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Palmer
Village in Illinois, United States
Palmer is a village in Christian County, Illinois, United States. The population was 216 at the 2020 census. A railroad line operated by Norfolk Southern runs through the town from southwest to northeast, parallelled by Illinois Route 48.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1873
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 623 ft
- ZIP code
- 62556
Questions about Palmer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Palmer, IL a good place to live?
Palmer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.