Zeigler-Circle-E-il, 2021
Zeigler’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1998.
- 1903Zeigler is settled
ZeiglerIL
A town of 1,456, settled in 1903.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,456
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Typical home
$58K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
48.7
years
Jobs based here
175
A commuter town
Is Zeigler a good place to live?
Zeigler’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for schools. 13% of residents are under 18 in Zeigler, below both Illinois’ towns (22%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 115 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on incomes. Zeigler's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 88% of U.S. towns. Zeigler has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Zeigler stand out
Where Zeigler beats most towns.
A shrinking town
Zeigler has shrunk 19% since 2010
1,801 counted in 2010 and 1,484 in 2020; an estimated 1,456 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Zeigler grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Zeigler is from typical.
SchoolsBehind 93% of Illinois districts on tests and graduationDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listC−Open →HealthHerrin Hospital 7.4 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 6.7% of households have no car; 2.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsCOpen →History2 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life1.4 library visits per resident; 1.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Zeigler: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Zeigler, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterZeigler water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Zeigler’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 hereFranklin County ClerkFranklin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6299962999 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 Zeigler.
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Zeigler home is worth about $58K
The typical Zeigler home is worth about $58,000, up 2.1% in a year, 80% below the Illinois typical home. Zeigler’s median rent is $920 a month, below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$58KZillow home value
| Zeigler | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $920 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Zeigler$58K
Illinois$296K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Zeigler is less healthy than 77% of U.S. towns
Zeigler beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 17% of adults smoke cigarettes in Zeigler.
23%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Zeigler | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Zeigler | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 17.4% | 12.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.8% | 10.3% |
Herrin Hospital
7.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
The median household income in Zeigler is lower than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
The median household income in Zeigler is $42,000. Since 2013, Zeigler has added 81 jobs, to 175 in 2023. 16% of Zeigler residents live below the poverty line.
6%work in town
| Zeigler | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 6% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Zeigler6%
Marion15%
Mount Vernon7%
Carbondale7%
Herrin6%
13 mi
median commute distance
175
jobs based in Zeigler
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 38% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Earthquakes leads a high hazard risk in Zeigler
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Zeigler, expect four seasons and hot summers
Zeigler has chilly winters and warm summers. Zeigler’s July high is 88°F.
10″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–44°
Spring45–67°
Summer65–87°
Fall46–69°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC
Conserved land covers 0% of Zeigler
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 869 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Super-Koll Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Zeigler
18pages on Zeigler
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Zeigler
About 5 of every 100 Zeigler residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Small town
1,456 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Zeigler
City in Illinois, United States
Zeigler is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 412 ft
- ZIP code
- 62999
- Area code
- 618
Questions about Zeigler
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Zeigler, 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 Zeigler, IL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Nick Holonyak and Mike Milosevich.