Tonica Tower, 2008
Tonica’s story
172 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
- 1854Tonica is settled
TonicaIL
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
737
2025 Census estimate · −2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$227K
+7.9% in a year
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
39.5
years
Jobs based here
169
A commuter town
Is Tonica a good place to live?
Tonica’s median rent is $855 a month, below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Tonica has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Tonica stand out
Where Tonica beats most towns.
Small town
737 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 Tonica: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tonica, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTonica 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 Tonica’s trash rules yet
SchoolsLaSalle-Peru Township High School District 120Tonica Community Consolidated School District 792 districts serve Tonica; 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 code6137061370 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 Tonica.
Work & commute
Most of Tonica’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Tonica for work: only 2% work in town. Tonica’s average trip to work is 24 minutes, where Illinois’ towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The top destinations are Streator (10%), Ottawa (6%) and Peru (5%).
2%work in town
| Tonica | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Tonica2%
Streator10%
Ottawa6%
Peru5%
Chicago5%
22 mi
median commute distance
169
jobs based in Tonica
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Tonica faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Tonica since 2013.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesDrought
1
paid flood claims since 2013
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Tonica’s typical home value is about $227K
The typical Tonica home is worth about $227,000, up 7.9% in a year, 23% below the Illinois typical home. 84% of households own their home in Tonica.
$227KZillow home value
Typical home value
Tonica$227K
Illinois$296K
+7.9%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Tonica
Tonica has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 15° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–35°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Tonica
No violent or property crimes were reported in Tonica in 2025. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Tonica is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Tonica is
Tonica beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 19% of Tonica adults binge drink.
| Tonica | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Tonica | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 15.5% | 12.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 5.9% |
OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center
8.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 868 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tonica Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tonica
19pages on Tonica
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Tonica
About 8 of every 100 Tonica residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Tonica for work
Where Tonica’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
169jobs based in Tonica
2%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Tonica
4 notable people were born in Tonica.
About Tonica
Village in LaSalle County, Illinois
Tonica is a village in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 749 at the 2020 census, down from 768 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 659 ft
- ZIP code
- 61370
Questions about Tonica
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tonica, IL a good place to live?
Tonica has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Tonica, IL known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Herbert Spencer Jennings and Charles Cyrus Kearns.