St Elmo 00368, 2010
St. Elmo’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 273 in 1870, a peak of 2,290 in 1940, 1,254 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1941 on.
- 1869St. Elmo is settled
St. ElmoIL
A town of 1,213, settled in 1869.
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,213
2025 Census estimate · −2.9% since 2020
Typical home
$128K
−6% in a year
Household income
$45K
median
Median age
40.1
years
Jobs based here
734
Balanced
Is St. Elmo a good place to live?
The best of St. Elmo’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in St. Elmo, against 8.4% in Illinois’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 18 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on incomes. St. Elmo's schools rank behind 69% of the state's. St. Elmo has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes St. Elmo stand out
Where St. Elmo beats most towns.
Small town
1,213 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How St. Elmo grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far St. Elmo is from typical.
St.
Jobs & income$45K median household incomeD−Open →Cost of livingAOpen →HealthLess healthy than 82% of U.S. towns; Fayette County Hospital 13.7 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 2.6% of households have no car; 2.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC+Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life2.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
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 40.1; 6% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to St. Elmo: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in St. Elmo, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSt Elmo 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 St. Elmo’s trash rules yet
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 hereFayette County ClerkFayette County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6245862458 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 St. Elmo.
HousingCost of living grade A
The typical home in St. Elmo is valued at about $128K
The typical St. At $762 a month, St. Elmo’s median rent is where Illinois’ towns sit at $1,129 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. Typical home values fell 6% in the year to September 2026.
$128KZillow home value
| St. Elmo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $762 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
St. Elmo$128K
Illinois$296K
−6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC−
Health in St. Elmo trails 82% of U.S. towns
18% of adults smoke cigarettes in St. Elmo. Elmo beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in St. Elmo.
18%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| St. Elmo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better17 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | St. Elmo | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 18.3% | 12.1% |
Fayette County Hospital
13.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In St. Elmo, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
St. Elmo’s July high is 87°F. Elmo has chilly winters and warm summers.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–40°
Spring44–64°
Summer64–85°
Fall45–67°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 3
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
St. Elmo has 1.4 jobs for every working resident, and 673 people commute in
Most working residents leave St. The median household income in St. Elmo is $45,000. Since 2013, St. Elmo has added 284 jobs, to 734 in 2023.
11%work in town
| St. Elmo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In St. Elmo11%
Effingham16%
Vandalia6%
Altamont3%
Springfield3%
21 mi
median commute distance
734
jobs based in St. Elmo
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 58% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in St. Elmo
Elmo's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025.
| St. Elmo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
St. Elmo2.4
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
St. Elmo6.5
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
8
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
St. Elmo faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about St. Elmo
18pages on St. Elmo
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 69% of IL districtsSafety2.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than IL on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$128K typical home · down 6% in a yearWork & commuteD−$45K median household income · 734 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 60% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of St. Elmo; the nearest are
Greenville UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Greenville31.2 mi$32,200 tuitionKaskaskia CollegeCommunity college · Public · Centralia36.7 mi$4,800 in-state tuitionEastern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Charleston48.1 mi$13,679 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 St. Elmo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A shrinking town
St. Elmo has shrunk 15% since 2010
1,426 counted in 2010 and 1,254 in 2020; an estimated 1,213 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About St. Elmo
City in Illinois, United States
St. Elmo or Saint Elmo is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2020 census. St. Elmo was established in 1871.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1871
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 614 ft
- ZIP code
- 62458
- Area code
- 618
Questions about St. Elmo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is St. Elmo, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.