19960720 05 BNSF near, 1996
Somonauk’s story
190 years in pictures
Census counts: 587 in 1880, 1,786 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1996 and 3 maps from 1948 on.
- 1836Somonauk is settled
Population
1,770
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$323K
+6.5% in a year
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
45.6
years
Jobs based here
421
A commuter town
Is Somonauk a good place to live?
Somonauk’s best subject grades are an A− for safety and schools. 26% of residents are 65 or older in Somonauk, above both the Illinois town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Somonauk is more walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. Somonauk has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Somonauk stand out
Where Somonauk beats most towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Somonauk for work
Where Somonauk’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
421jobs based in Somonauk
4%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Somonauk grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Somonauk is from typical.
SafetyA−Open →SchoolsBeat 77% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Jobs & income$85K median household incomeB+Open →HealthValley West Community Hospital 3.4 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 8% of households have no carB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailBOpen →HistoryB+Open →Civic life2.6 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 45.6; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Somonauk: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Somonauk, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSomonauk water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown site
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 hereDeKalb County ClerkDeKalb County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code6055260552 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 Somonauk.
SafetyA−
Less crime per resident in Somonauk than in 82% of U.S. towns
Somonauk’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, against 1 in Illinois’ towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns.
82%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Somonauk | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.8 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Somonauk0
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Somonauk6.8
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
82nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
12
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Somonauk has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Somonauk for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Somonauk has lost 165 jobs, to 421 in 2023. 3.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Somonauk.
4%work in town
| Somonauk | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 11% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Somonauk4%
Sandwich8%
Aurora6%
Chicago4%
Yorkville4%
25 mi
median commute distance
421
jobs based in Somonauk
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 72% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Somonauk is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
Somonauk beats the Illinois average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 33% of Somonauk adults sleep under 7 hours.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Somonauk | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 23% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
7 better23 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Somonauk | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.5% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.9% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 7.6% |
Valley West Community Hospital
3.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Somonauk
Somonauk has cold winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–33°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–82°
Fall42–63°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Somonauk
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B
Somonauk’s typical home value is about $323K
The typical Somonauk home is worth about $323,000, up 6.5% in a year, 9% above the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Somonauk is $993 a month.
$323KZillow home value
| Somonauk | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $993 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Somonauk$323K
Illinois$296K
+6.5%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsB
Somonauk has set aside 1% of its land for conservation
1.2 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
1%conserved
| Somonauk | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
1%
conserved · 16 of 1,596 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Somonauk Community Park | 0.1 mi | 19 |
| 2. Sannauk Forest Preserve | 0.2 mi | 2 |
| 3. Finding Heroes Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Somonauk
19pages on Somonauk
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 77% of IL districtsSafetyA−0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than IL on 7 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$323K typical home · up 6.5% in a yearWork & commuteB+$85K median household income · 421 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Somonauk; the nearest are
Waubonsee Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sugar Grove16.2 mi$3,504 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb21.1 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Somonauk residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
About Somonauk
Village in Illinois, United States
Somonauk is a village in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,786 at the 2020 Census, down from 1,893 at the 2010 Census. The DeKalb County portion of Somonauk is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in LaSalle County is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 686 ft
- ZIP code
- 60552
Somonauk’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Somonauk.
Lake HolidaySandwichSomonauk
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somonauk | — | — | B | A− | A− | B+ |
| Lake Holiday | #418 | B | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Sandwich | #175 | A− | B− | A | B | B |
Somonauk has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lake Holiday reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Somonauk with a neighbor →
Questions about Somonauk
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Somonauk, IL expensive?
That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($90,887 across the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro 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.