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Village Hall, San Jose, Illinois
Illinois›Mason County

San JoseIL

A town of 460, settled in 1858.

Photo: Joseph Gage · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo of San Jose

San Jose, IL · Photo: Joseph Gage · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source ↗

Is San Jose a good place to live?

San Jose has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

460 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
San Jose Fire Protection District station
San Jose Fire Protection District station, 2020
San Jose’s story

168 years in pictures

Census counts: 285 in 1880, a peak of 784 in 1980, 479 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and 2 maps from 1942 on.

  • 1858San Jose is settled
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to San Jose: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in San Jose, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSan Jose water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have San Jose’s trash rules yet
SchoolsIllini Central Community Unit School District 189Which school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereMason County ClerkMason County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6268262682 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 San Jose.

Housing

Zillow puts the typical San Jose home at about $118K

83% of San Jose households are owner-occupiers, against 75% in Illinois’ towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Values rose 12% in the 12 months to September 2026.

$118KZillow home value

Typical home value

San Jose$118K
Illinois$296K
+11.9%
value change, 1 year

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

San Jose stands out in Illinois and nationally: a larger share of its residents live below the poverty line

San Jose’s average commute stands at 29 minutes. The income of the median household for San Jose comes to $56,000, below both the Illinois town median ($83,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). For working residents here, the share who work locally is 1.2%. The top destinations are Springfield (14%), Lincoln (8%) and Mason City (5%).

1%work in town
San JoseIllinois townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line31%8.4%9.6%
Median household income$56,000$83,000$80,000
Average trip to work29 minutes26 minutes25 minutes
Working residents who work in town1.2%8.3%8%

Where working residents work

In San Jose1%
Springfield14%
Lincoln8%
Mason City5%
Orvil Township4%
35 mi
median commute distance
32
jobs based in San Jose
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In San Jose, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 18°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.

13″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter21–37°
Spring42–64°
Summer63–85°
Fall43–65°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Safety

Crime reported in San Jose

In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. No violent or property crimes were reported in San Jose in 2022.

San Jose is small, so we show counts rather than rates.

0
violent crimes reported in 2022
0
property crimes reported in 2022

FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police

Health

How healthy San Jose is

In San Jose, 16% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 18% report frequent mental distress. Against the Illinois average, San Jose comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 8. The share of adults in San Jose who binge drink: 19%.

San JoseIllinois townsU.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)19%18%16%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)16%13%14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)18%17%17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)15%13%14%
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
What stands outSan JoseIL
Fewer uninsured adults7.5%9.9%
More adults with COPD8.6%6.3%
Hopedale Hospital
12.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Natural hazards

San Jose faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

On expected storm and flood damage, San Jose sits below 54% of U.S. communities. Nearly a third of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 22%. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.

46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
46Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingDroughtStrong wind
3
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about San Jose

17pages on San Jose
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of San Jose; the nearest are

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave San Jose for work

Where San Jose’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

14% → Springfield Springfield 14% 8% → Lincoln Lincoln 8% 5% → Mason City Mason City 5% 4% → Orvil Township Orvil Township 4% 3% → Bloomington Bloomington 3% 3% → Chicago Chicago 3% San Jose · 1% stay
32jobs based in San Jose
1%of working residents work in town
35 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About San Jose

Village in Illinois, United States

Official town website ↗

San Jose ( san-JOHZ) is a village in Logan and Mason counties, Illinois, United States, founded in 1858. The population was 479 at the 2020 census, down from 642 in 2010.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1858
Area
0.5 sq mi
Elevation
599 ft
ZIP code
62682

Questions about San Jose

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is San Jose, IL a good place to live?

San Jose has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.