Henry D. Barber House · National Register of Historic Places
Polo’s story
170 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1854.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1856Polo is settled
PoloIL
Photo: Andy McMurray · CC BY 2.5
Population
2,235
2025 Census estimate · −2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$179K
+2.3% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
33.1
years
Jobs based here
511
A commuter town
Is Polo a good place to live?
Polo’s best subject grades are an A for safety and an A− for cost of living and walkability; its weakest is a C for incomes. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Polo, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Polo has 7 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Henry D. Barber House and Bryant H. and Lucie Barber House. Polo has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Polo stand out
Where Polo beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Polo2.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
15% less violent crime than IL
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Typical home value
Polo$179K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA−
2.2 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 85% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Henry D. Barber HouseHistoryA−
Settled in 1856
A history going back 170 years.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Polo for work
Where Polo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
511jobs based in Polo
10%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Polo grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Polo is from typical.
SafetyAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.7 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 5.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 25% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Jobs & income511 jobs based hereCOpen →SchoolsBeat 65% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationB+Open →HealthOSF Saint Katharine Medical Center 11 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsC−Open →History5 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life3.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
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 33.1; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Polo: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Polo, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPolo water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Polo’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 hereOgle County ClerkOgle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6106461064 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 Polo.
SafetyA
Crime per resident in Polo is lower than in 91% of U.S. towns
Polo’s property crime rate is 0.9 per 1,000 residents, against 7.9 in Illinois’ towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. The violent crime rate in Polo is 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
91%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Polo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Polo2.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Polo0.9
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
91st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Polo home is worth about $179K
The typical Polo home is worth about $179,000, up 2.3% in a year, 39% below the Illinois typical home. 59% of households own their home in Polo.
$179KZillow home value
| Polo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $851 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Polo$179K
Illinois$296K
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Polo has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Polo for work: only 10% work in town. Polo’s median household income is $63,000. The top destinations are Dixon (15%), Sterling (8%) and Chicago (5%).
10%work in town
| Polo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Polo10%
Dixon15%
Sterling8%
Chicago5%
Rockford4%
15 mi
median commute distance
511
jobs based in Polo
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 78% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Polo, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities.
25risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Polo has four seasons and pleasant summers
Polo has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 13° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Polo is less healthy than 63% of U.S. towns
Polo beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 42% of Polo adults have obesity.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Polo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better23 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Polo | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.4% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 15.7% | 12.1% |
OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center
11 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC−
Conserved land covers 0% of Polo
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 922 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Westside Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Polo Community Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Polo. Close and well known come first.
12 mi National Historic SiteRonald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site
32 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
11 mi MuseumJohn Deere House and Shop
34 mi GardenAnderson Japanese Gardens
13 mi MuseumChana School
40 mi MuseumApple River FortSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site: Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · John Deere House and Shop: IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5 · Anderson Japanese Gardens: M. Readey, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chana School: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin), CC BY 2.5 · Apple River Fort: IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Polo
20pages on Polo
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 65% of IL districtsSafetyA2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than IL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$179K typical home · up 2.3% in a yearWork & commuteC$63K median household income · 511 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 25% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Polo
About 4 of every 100 Polo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Landmarks
7 places in Polo on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Polo
5 notable people were born in Polo.
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About Polo
City in Illinois, United States
Polo is a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,291 at the 2020 census, down from 2,355 in 2010 and 2,477 in 2000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 863 ft
- ZIP code
- 61064
- Area code
- 815
Questions about Polo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Polo, 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 Polo, IL known for?
5 notable people were born here, including George Peek and George Perkins Clinton.