19960615 06 BNSF, 1996
Steward’s story
155 years in pictures
Census counts: 353 in 1910, 229 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1996 and 3 maps from 1952 on.
- 1871Steward is settled
StewardIL
Population
222
2025 Census estimate · −2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$284K
+10% in a year
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
40.8
years
Jobs based here
1
A commuter town
Is Steward a good place to live?
2.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Steward, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Steward has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Steward stand out
Where Steward beats most towns.
Small town
222 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Steward: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Steward, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSteward water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers0% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offNorthern Illinois Disposal, 5 miOpenStreetMap
SchoolsRochelle Township High School District 212Steward Elementary School District 2202 districts serve Steward; 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 hereLee County ClerkLee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6055360553 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 Steward.
Work & commute
Steward has 0.0 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The top destinations are Ashton (16%), Rochelle (15%) and DeKalb (9%). In Steward, the typical journey to work is 30 minutes, above both the Illinois town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The typical household income for Steward comes to $103,000. For half of commuters, work is under 18 miles away.
0%work in town
| Steward | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Steward0%
Ashton16%
Rochelle15%
DeKalb9%
Rockford5%
18 mi
median commute distance
1
jobs based in Steward
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Steward brings four seasons and pleasant summers
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Steward is
Steward beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 19% of adults binge drink locally. In Steward, just over one in ten adults have diabetes, and 12% worry about having enough food.
| Steward | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Steward | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.1% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.5% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 7.6% |
Rochelle Community Hospital
5.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Illinois overall
College graduates make up 31% of adults 25 and older, against 38% across Illinois. Adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (39% statewide); people 65 and older are 13% of residents (17% statewide). Steward: a fifth of residents are under 18. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Steward at 222 residents, down 2.6% since 2020.
40.8median age · IL 39
| Steward | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 29% | 29% |
StewardIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
27%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school29%
Some college22%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.5 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Steward | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.8% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.1% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.1% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 26.6% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.2% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.4% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.7% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.4% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Steward has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
In Steward, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 56 of 100. FEMA puts 53% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 12% to tornadoes.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
A home in Steward is worth about $284K, on Zillow’s estimate
The share of households in Steward who are owner-occupiers: 89%. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 10% in value.
$284KZillow home value
Typical home value
Steward$284K
Illinois$296K
+10%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 84 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wesley Steward Memorial Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 39 attractions →Starved Rock State Park and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Steward. Close and well known come first.
36 mi State parkStarved Rock State Park
36 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
29 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
15 mi TheatreEgyptian Theatre, DeKalb
24 mi National Historic SiteRonald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site
15 mi MuseumEllwood HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Starved Rock State Park: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · Egyptian Theatre, DeKalb: Andy McMurray, CC BY 2.5 · Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site: Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ellwood House: Paul R. Burley, CC0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Steward
17pages on Steward
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Steward
Kishwaukee CollegeCommunity college · Public · Malta9.5 mi$4,560 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb14.3 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Steward residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Steward for work
Where Steward’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1jobs based in Steward
0%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Steward
Village in Illinois, United States
Steward is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Steward had a population of 229.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1871
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 823 ft
- ZIP code
- 60553
Questions about Steward
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Steward, IL a good place to live?
Steward has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.