Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its National Register listings include Old Danish Church and Village Hall. Sheffield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Sheffield beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1880.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sheffield, 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 Sheffield.
Home values are up 15% over the year to September 2026. Sheffield’s going rate for rent is $1,047 a month, below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Among households locally, 76% live in a home they own.
| Sheffield | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,047 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Sheffield’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 19 of 100, where Illinois’ towns sit at 50 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Expected losses in Sheffield break down as 40% from inland flooding and 18% from tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Sheffield after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2013.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sheffield had 101 jobs in 2023, up 20 from 2013. Most working residents leave Sheffield for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Princeton (13%), Kewanee (8%) and Peoria (5%). In Sheffield, just over one in ten residents live below the poverty line.
| Sheffield | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Sheffield, 15% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 37% have high blood pressure. Against the Illinois average, Sheffield comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 8. Sheffield: 24% of adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Sheffield | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Sheffield | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.3% | 13.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.9% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One park or preserve covers 3 acres in Sheffield.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Sheffield; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Sheffield residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Where Sheffield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Sheffield on the National Register of Historic Places.
Village in Illinois, United States
Sheffield is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 821 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. Sheffield was founded by Joseph E. Sheffield and Henry Farnam in 1852. Sheffield and Farnam constructed the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, and the town site was intended as a coaling station for trains. According to Farnam, he and Sheffield flipped a coin to see for whom the town would be named. A monument to Joseph E. Sheffield, and the Rock Island Railroad stands today in Sheffield's town square.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sheffield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
