Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 795, established in 1866.
Ridgway’s median household income is $46,000, where Illinois’ towns sit at $83,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Among 769 Illinois towns, just 3 have a higher January low than Ridgway. Ridgway has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 174 in 1880, a peak of 1,245 in 1980, 851 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 2 maps from 1905 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ridgway, 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 Ridgway.
Ridgway’s FEMA risk score is 87 of 100, above both Illinois’ towns (50 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1978, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ridgway.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Ridgway for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Ridgway has lost 46 jobs, to 168 in 2023. The top destinations are Evansville (7%), Black Township (7%) and Equality Township (6%).
| Ridgway | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Ridgway has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Ridgway is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Ridgway beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 40% of Ridgway adults have high blood pressure.
| Ridgway | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Ridgway | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.7% | 13.2% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 66.9% | 60.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ridgway Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ridgway
About 4 of every 100 Ridgway residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Ridgway’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Ridgway is a village in Ridgway and North Fork Townships, Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ridgway had a population of 851.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ridgway has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.