Paw Paw IL water tower, 2005
Paw Paw’s story
192 years in pictures
Census counts: 476 in 1880, 830 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1834Paw Paw is settled
Paw PawIL
Trash day: FridayPhoto: IvoShandor · CC BY 2.5
Population
798
2025 Census estimate · −3.5% since 2020
Typical home
$243K
+7% in a year
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
93
A commuter town
Is Paw Paw a good place to live?
Paw Paw’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, above both the Illinois town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Paw Paw has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Paw Paw stand out
Where Paw Paw beats most towns.
Small town
798 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Paw Paw: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paw Paw, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPaw Paw water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers0% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFridayTrash dayTown site
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 hereLee County ClerkLee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6135361353 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 Paw Paw.
Work & commute
Most of Paw Paw’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Paw Paw for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Paw Paw grew to 93 in 2023, 40 more than in 2013. Paw Paw’s median household income is $65,000, below both Illinois’ towns ($83,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000).
3%work in town
| Paw Paw | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.6% | 11% | 11% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Paw Paw3%
Mendota9%
Chicago4%
Rockford4%
Dixon4%
32 mi
median commute distance
93
jobs based in Paw Paw
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Paw Paw, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Paw Paw has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Paw Paw’s July high is 83°F.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–81°
Fall41–62°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
The typical home in Paw Paw is valued at about $243K
The typical Paw Paw home is worth about $243,000, up 7% in a year, 18% below the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Paw Paw is $920 a month.
$243KZillow home value
| Paw Paw | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $920 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Paw Paw$243K
Illinois$296K
+7%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Paw Paw
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Paw Paw is
Paw Paw beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 19% of Paw Paw adults binge drink.
| Paw Paw | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better26 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Paw Paw | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.9% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 6.3% |
OSF Saint Paul Medical Center
11.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Paw Paw has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 383 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lions Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Paw Paw
18pages on Paw Paw
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Paw Paw; the nearest are
Kishwaukee CollegeCommunity college · Public · Malta18 mi$4,560 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb20.2 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Paw Paw residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Paw Paw for work
Where Paw Paw’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
93jobs based in Paw Paw
3%of working residents work in town
32 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Paw Paw
5 notable people were born in Paw Paw.
About Paw Paw
Village in Illinois, United States
Paw Paw is a village in Lee County in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the village was home to 830 people, down from 870 at the 2010 census. It was settled in the mid 19th century and by 1878 the village had a railroad connection. Paw Paw is home to a house which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and was the recipient of a 2005 federal grant to construct a water tower.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1834
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 945 ft
- ZIP code
- 61353
Questions about Paw Paw
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Paw Paw, IL a good place to live?
Paw Paw has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Paw Paw, IL known for?
5 notable people were born here, including George Bristow and Jesse Harper.