Armour's Warehouse · National Register of Historic Places
Seneca’s story
172 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1861.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1854Seneca is settled
SenecaIL
83% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: IvoShandor · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,310
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Typical home
$255K
+5% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
35.5
years
Jobs based here
569
A commuter town
Is Seneca a good place to live?
Seneca’s best subject grade is an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Seneca, against 8.4% in Illinois’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Seneca is more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns. Armour's Warehouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Seneca has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
StrongestA−Civic life
What makes Seneca stand out
Where Seneca beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Seneca6.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA−
83% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
5.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Armour's WarehouseHistory
Settled in 1854
1 place on the National Register
A history going back 172 years.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Seneca for work
Where Seneca’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
569jobs based in Seneca
5%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Seneca grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Seneca is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 1.7% of households have no carB+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →SchoolsBeat 68% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Jobs & income$87K median household incomeC+Open →Cost of livingB−Open →HealthMorris Hospital & Healthcare Centers 10.7 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksCOpen →History1 place on the National Register; 2 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life6.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−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 35.5; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Seneca: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Seneca, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSeneca water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Seneca’s trash rules yet
SchoolsSeneca Township High School District 160Seneca Community Consolidated School District 170Nettle Creek Community Consolidated School District 24C3 districts serve Seneca; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereLaSalle County ClerkLaSalle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes61360, 6134161360 96% · 61341 4%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 Seneca.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Seneca’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Seneca for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Seneca grew to 569 in 2023, 77 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Ottawa (11%), Morris (6%) and Marseilles (5%).
5%work in town
| Seneca | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Seneca5%
Ottawa11%
Morris6%
Marseilles5%
Chicago4%
25 mi
median commute distance
569
jobs based in Seneca
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Seneca faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 21 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Seneca.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
21
paid flood claims since 1979
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Seneca has four seasons and pleasant summers
Seneca has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 16° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
25″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–35°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–64°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B−
Seneca’s typical home value is about $255K
The typical Seneca home is worth about $255,000, up 5% in a year, 14% below the Illinois typical home. 81% of households own their home in Seneca, above both the Illinois town median (75%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
$255KZillow home value
| Seneca | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,149 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Seneca$255K
Illinois$296K
+5%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Safety
Crime reported in Seneca
Seneca's reported crime rate is below Illinois's. Seneca’s violent crime rate is 2.2 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Seneca | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.3 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Seneca2.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Seneca8.3
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
19
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthB−
Seneca is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns
Seneca beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 20% of Seneca adults binge drink.
51%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Seneca | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 33% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better26 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Seneca | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.7% | 9.9% |
| More smokers | 15.8% | 12.1% |
Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers
10.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Seneca
19pages on Seneca
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 68% of IL districtsSafety2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than IL on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$255K typical home · up 5% in a yearWork & commuteC+$87K median household income · 569 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 73% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Seneca; the nearest are
Illinois Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Oglesby25.2 mi$4,200 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb44.2 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Seneca residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
About Seneca
Village in Illinois, United States
Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,353 at the 2020 census, down from 2,371 at the 2010 census. The LaSalle County portion of Seneca is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in Grundy County is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1854
- Area
- 7.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 503 ft
- ZIP code
- 61360
Seneca’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Seneca.
Manlius TownshipBrookfield TownshipSeneca
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca | — | — | B− | — | B+ | B− |
| Manlius Township | #525 | C+ | B | — | B | B− |
| Brookfield Township | — | — | D | — | B+ | B− |
Seneca and Brookfield Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Seneca, Manlius Township and Brookfield Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Seneca with a neighbor →
Questions about Seneca
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Seneca, IL a good place to live?
83% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Is Seneca, IL expensive?
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($72,230 across the Ottawa, IL area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
What is Seneca, IL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Dave Callahan and John Tracy Ellis.