Plat book of Woodford County, Illinois, 1893
Washburn’s story
176 years in pictures
Census counts: 272 in 1870, 1,032 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 4 maps from 1893 on.
- 1850Washburn is founded
WashburnIL
Photo: ProfDEH (talk) at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,008
2025 Census estimate · −2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$132K
−6% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
43.4
years
Jobs based here
179
A commuter town
Is Washburn a good place to live?
Washburn’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a C for hazard risk. Washburn’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, where Illinois’ towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On cost of living, just 105 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns do better. Washburn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Washburn stand out
Where Washburn beats most towns.
Small town
1,008 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Washburn grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Washburn is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 6.7% of households have no car; 0.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthCarle Eureka Hospital 13.8 miles awayBOpen →SchoolsBeat 56% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Jobs & income$77K median household income; 179 jobs based hereB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landCOpen →History5 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life4.2 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 43.4; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Washburn: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Washburn, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWashburn water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Washburn’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 hereWoodford County ClerkWoodford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code6157061570 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 Washburn.
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Washburn are worth about $132K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Washburn home is worth about $132,000, down 6% in a year, 56% below the Illinois typical home. At $856 a month, Washburn’s median rent is below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 84% of households own their home in Washburn.
$132KZillow home value
| Washburn | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $856 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Washburn$132K
Illinois$296K
−6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Most of Washburn’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Washburn for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are Peoria (17%), Metamora (8%) and Normal (5%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
5%work in town
| Washburn | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.5% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Washburn5%
Peoria17%
Metamora8%
Normal5%
Washington4%
21 mi
median commute distance
179
jobs based in Washburn
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Washburn
Washburn has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 16° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
18″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–36°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
Fall43–64°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Washburn faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Washburn.
65risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesDrought
4
paid flood claims since 2013
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB
Residents of Washburn are healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
Washburn beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 19% of Washburn adults binge drink.
58%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Washburn | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
3 better26 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Washburn | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.1% | 15.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14% | 10.3% |
Carle Eureka Hospital
13.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.6%conserved
0.6%
conserved · 3 of 460 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grant Ireland Memorial Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Washburn
19pages on Washburn
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Washburn
About 3 of every 100 Washburn residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A shrinking town
Washburn has shrunk 13% since 2010
1,155 counted in 2010 and 1,032 in 2020; an estimated 1,008 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Famous people from Washburn
5 notable people were born in Washburn.
About Washburn
Village in Illinois, United States
Washburn is a village mostly in Woodford County, with a small northerly portion in Marshall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,032 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area. Washburn was first founded by site owner Hiram Echols in 1850 as Uniontown before its renaming as Washburn in 1857.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 681 ft
- ZIP code
- 61570
- Area code
- 309
Questions about Washburn
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Washburn, 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.
What is Washburn, IL known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Clifford C. Ireland and J. Frank Duryea.