City of Wamac, Marion, Washington, and Clinton Counties, Illinois : floodplain management reconnaissance study
Wamac’s story
110 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
- 1916Wamac is settled
WamacIL
A town of 962, settled in 1916.
Population
962
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$42K
−3.2% in a year
Household income
$37K
median
Median age
46.7
years
Jobs based here
146
A commuter town
Is Wamac a good place to live?
28% of residents live below the poverty line in Wamac, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. No town among the 769 in Illinois we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Wamac. Wamac has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Wamac has shrunk 19% since 2010
1,185 counted in 2010 and 985 in 2020; an estimated 962 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wamac: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wamac, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWamac water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offCentralia Recycling Center, 2 miOpenStreetMap
SchoolsCentralia High School District 200North Wamac School District 186Centralia School District 1353 districts serve Wamac; 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 hereClinton County ClerkClinton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6280162801 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 Wamac.
Housing
A typical Wamac home is worth about $42K
The typical Wamac home is worth about $42,000, down 3.2% in a year, 86% below the Illinois typical home. Wamac’s median rent is $787 a month, below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$42KZillow home value
| Wamac | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $787 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Wamac$42K
Illinois$296K
−3.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Wamac stands out in Illinois and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
0.6% of Wamac working residents work locally. Since 2013, Wamac has lost 43 jobs, to 146 in 2023. Wamac’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
1%work in town
| Wamac | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Wamac1%
Centralia22%
Centralia Township5%
Salem4%
Mount Vernon4%
17 mi
median commute distance
146
jobs based in Wamac
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Wamac faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Wamac has four seasons and pleasant summers
Wamac has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Wamac is 88°F.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–42°
Spring45–66°
Summer65–86°
Fall46–68°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Illinois and the rest of the country, more of Wamac’s adults smoke cigarettes
21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Wamac. Wamac beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 30% of adults get no exercise outside work in Wamac.
| Wamac | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better11 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Wamac | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.5% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 20.9% | 12.1% |
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital -Centralia
3.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.9%conserved
| Wamac | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.9%
conserved · 8 of 907 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wamac City Park | 0.3 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wamac
16pages on Wamac
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wamac
About 1 of every 100 Wamac residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Small town
962 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
CentraliaIrvington TownshipBrookside TownshipCentralia TownshipWamac
About Wamac
City in Illinois, United States
Wamac is a city in Washington, Marion, and Clinton counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 985 at the 2020 census, down from 1,185 in 2010. Incorporated as a city on July 25, 1916, Wamac derives its name from the three counties.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1916
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 502 ft
- Area code
- 618
Questions about Wamac
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wamac, IL a good place to live?
Wamac has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.