Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Plano grades B− overall, ranked 449th of 767 in Illinois, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns and it has 8 miles of trail. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $311K, 3.4 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. 8.7% of residents are 65 or older in Plano, below both Illinois’ towns (19%) and U.S. towns (18%). Plano has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Albert H. Sears House and Plano Hotel.
Where Plano beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,782 in 1880, 11,847 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 4 maps from 1948 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Plano is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plano, 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 Plano.
8.3 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Plano’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Steward Park, 122 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
| Plano | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Steward Park | 1.5 mi | 122 |
| 2. Foli Park | 0.5 mi | 14 |
| 3. City Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Plano is 4.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Plano | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Plano for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Plano grew to 2,871 in 2023, 343 more than in 2013. 6.9% of workers work from home in Plano.
| Plano | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.9% | 11% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Plano beats the Illinois average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of Plano adults binge drink.
| Plano | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Plano | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.3% | 3.3% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.2% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 69.9% | 75.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Plano has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Plano home is worth about $311,000, up 3.9% in a year, 5% above the Illinois typical home.
| Plano | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,686 a month | $1,128 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 75% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Plano.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Plano. Close and well known come first.
40 mi Stadium & arenaAllstate Arena
38 mi Stadium & arenaSeatGeek Stadium
34 mi State parkStarved Rock State Park27 mi Park & preserveMazon Creek
38 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
26 mi MuseumMorton ArboretumAllstate Arena: Nkon21, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SeatGeek Stadium: Khvmty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Starved Rock State Park: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Morton Arboretum: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5
2 within 15 miles of the center of Plano
About 5 of every 100 Plano residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Where Plano’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Plano on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Plano.
City in Illinois, United States
Plano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 11,847 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, being about 55 miles (90 km) from Chicago. The city was home to the Plano Harvester Company in the late 19th century, as well as the Plano Molding Company more recently. In 2011, downtown Plano was used as a set for Man of Steel.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Plano.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Plano grades B− overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #449 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B+ for health, A− for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
7 notable people were born here, including Cole Bennett and Frederick M. Smith.
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