Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety92#1,193/15,637
Economy46#8,397/15,631
Housing80#2,954/14,977
Health58#6,597/15,609
Healthcare25#11,723/15,650
Environment31#10,725/15,453
Education43#8,895/15,649
Infrastructure40#9,383/15,650
Community61#6,088/15,651
Leisure & amenities58#6,590/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Aledo, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Mercer County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100Illinois 11.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMercer County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Illinois 10.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMercer County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low92 min
98/100Illinois 170 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMercer County value
Public libraries · high2.6 /10k
94/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesMercer County value
Job growth · high3.2%
94/100Illinois 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMercer County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Illinois 6.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMercer County value

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low13 /100k
2/100Illinois 82 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMercer County value
Average weekly wage · low$836
2/100Illinois $1,539United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMercer County value
Mental health providers · low33 /100k
3/100Illinois 355 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMercer County value
Dentists · low19 /100k
4/100Illinois 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMercer County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low40.9%
6/100Illinois 90.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMercer County value
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Illinois 12.2United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMercer County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.3% (2015-2019) → 90.6% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
9.3% (2015-2019) → 20.9% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$50,482 (2015-2019) → $72,292 (2020-2024)
+43%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
33.7% (2015-2019) → 28.6% (2020-2024)
−5.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
91.4% (2015-2019) → 96.0% (2020-2024)
+4.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Poverty rateWorsening
8.1% (2015-2019) → 12.6% (2020-2024)
+4.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Aledo, Illinois improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Household income+43%$50,482 → $72,292
Broadband+12 points78.3% → 90.6%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Aledo, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.7 min2015-2019	19.3 min2020-2024	−0.4 min	Within the margin of error	53%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.3%2015-2019	25.7%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Broadband subscriptions	78.3%2015-2019	90.6%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	70%
Effective property tax rate	2.23%2015-2019	1.80%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	87%
High school diploma or higher	91.4%2015-2019	96.0%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	74%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3692015-2019	0.3942020-2024	+0.025	Within the margin of error	30%
Median household income	$50,4822015-2019	$72,2922020-2024	+43%	Improved	78%
Poverty rate	8.1%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	21.3%2015-2019	22.3%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Rent-burdened households	33.7%2015-2019	28.6%2020-2024	−5.1 points	Within the margin of error	72%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Aledo, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Aledo, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Aledo, Illinois itself moved +4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

3,668 residents (±154)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 40–49 men (−3.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

3,668 residents (±154)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

White94%3,431
Black2.0%†72
Hispanic or Latino3.7%†134

Education

2,593 residents (±125)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma4.0%†103
High school or GED36%928
Some college22%566

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,545 households (±118)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k19%†295
$25k–50k16%†249
$50k–75k16%†247
$75k–100k9.6%†148
$100k–150k22%†337
$150k–200k13%†202
$200k or more4.3%†67

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−13.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,545 households (±118)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

Own70%1,077
Rent30%†468

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

468 households (±143)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $75035%†166
$750–1,00055%†257
$1,000–1,5009.6%†45

Home values

1,077 homes (±153)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k52%555
$150k–250k31%†333
$250k–400k18%†189

Age of homes

1,663 homes (±126)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later1.4%†24
2000–20097.2%†120
1980–199911%†180

Size of homes

1,663 homes (±126)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio5.4%†90
1 bedroom5.6%†93
2 bedrooms29%485

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,804 workers (±172)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone81%1,467
Carpool5.2%†94
Public transit0.0%0
Walk3.8%†68
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.7%†175
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,629 workers (±162)

Aledo, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min63%1,030
15–29 min5.2%†84
30–44 min9.7%†158

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Mercer County, the county holding most of Aledo's residents.

Mercer County has 258 employer establishments, 167 for every 10,000 residents (0.67× the US rate of 248; 0.65× Illinois's), with 2,200 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,154. The Census Bureau also counts 907 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 258; 907 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 167; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 2,200
Average annual pay: $42,154; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Mercer County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	21	13.6	2.45×More than typical	49	$14,816	—
Specialty trade contractors	21	13.6	0.88×About typical	50	$48,080	65
Restaurants and other eating places	19	12.3	0.67×Fewer than typical	193	$13,249	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	12	7.8	1.54×More than typical	29	$38,276	15
Insurance agencies and brokerages	11	7.1	1.62×More than typical	37	$38,243	16
Ambulatory health care services	10	6.5	0.31×Fewer than typical	29	$70,276	32
Banks and credit unions	10	6.5	2.00×More than typical	82	$42,061	—
Full-service restaurants	10	6.5	0.84×About typical	78	$11,410	—
Gasoline stations	9	5.8	1.79×Too few to compare	92	$25,000	—
Construction of buildings	8	5.2	0.68×Too few to compare	13	$39,923	30
Other specialty trade contractors	8	5.2	2.06×Too few to compare	13	$55,000	27
Truck transportation	8	5.2	1.02×Too few to compare	15	$49,333	32

Rank places for an industry Open Mercer County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 15,472 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Aledo, Illinois: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

218.6FY2023
11.1FY2024

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Aledo, Illinois, so they do not add up across cities.

Aledo, Illinois's figures are part of those of Mercer County, IL ($1.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Aledo is mostly in Mercer County.

See federal money in Mercer County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Aledo, Illinois is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).