City · Cass County, Illinois

Beardstown, Illinois

Beardstown is a city in Cass County, Illinois. It has 6,169 residents. Beardstown, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 25 out of 100 (low), ranking #11,798 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #611 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on traffic deaths (low), home price to income ratio (low) and rent as share of income (low). It ranks worst on arts, entertainment and recreation (low), access to exercise opportunities (low) and reading scores (low).

25Low

Quality-of-life score: #11,798 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #611 of 697 in IL
Population: 6,169 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 1,685.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 1704351

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 70 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety60#6,327/15,637
Economy35#10,221/15,631
Housing90#1,523/14,977
Health39#9,574/15,609
Healthcare12#13,833/15,650
Environment23#11,943/15,453
Education5#14,888/15,649
Infrastructure11#13,996/15,650
Community43#8,943/15,651
Leisure & amenities39#9,543/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Beardstown, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Cass 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

Traffic deaths · low3.1 /100k
100/100Illinois 9.8 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataCass County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.4×
99/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent as share of income · low22.6%
98/100Illinois 29.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Mental health providers · high692 /100k
96/100Illinois 355 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Rent-burdened households · low27.0%
95/100Illinois 47.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Job growth · high3.0%
94/100Illinois 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataCass County value

Weaknesses

Arts, entertainment and recreation · low0.0 /10k
1/100Illinois 4.8 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCass County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low17.0%
1/100Illinois 90.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Reading scores · low2.52
2/100Illinois 2.97United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Primary care physicians · low16 /100k
3/100Illinois 82 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Math scores · low2.48
3/100Illinois 2.90United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Illinois 4.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyCass County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
5,682 (2015-2019) → 6,169 (2020-2024)
+8.6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedWorsening
0.2 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
27.9% (2015-2019) → 13.7% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.6% (2015-2019) → 83.1% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
24.3% (2015-2019) → 13.7% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$40,750 (2015-2019) → $60,587 (2020-2024)
+49%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

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, Beardstown, Illinois improved on 6 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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.

Improved6

Poverty−11 points24.3% → 13.7%
Child poverty−14 points27.9% → 13.7%
Price / income−0.3×1.7× → 1.4×
Household income+49%$40,750 → $60,587
Bachelor's++6.4 points10.3% → 16.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Beardstown, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.0 min2015-2019	17.5 min2020-2024	+1.6 min	Within the margin of error	31%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.3%2015-2019	16.7%2020-2024	+6.4 points	Improved	76%
Broadband subscriptions	71.6%2015-2019	83.1%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	67%
Child poverty rate	27.9%2015-2019	13.7%2020-2024	−14 points	Improved	88%
Effective property tax rate	2.10%2015-2019	1.69%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	85%
High school diploma or higher	74.0%2015-2019	78.8%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Home price to income ratio	1.7×2015-2019	1.4×2020-2024	−0.3×	Improved	90%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4082015-2019	0.3732020-2024	−0.035	Within the margin of error	77%
Median household income	$40,7502015-2019	$60,5872020-2024	+49%	Improved	83%
Poverty rate	24.3%2015-2019	13.7%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	94%
Rent as share of income	23.5%2015-2019	22.6%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Rent-burdened households	35.2%2015-2019	27.0%2020-2024	−8.2 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Unemployment rate	8.8%2015-2019	4.6%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Within the margin of error	94%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.4%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	15%

“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 Beardstown, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Beardstown, 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, Beardstown, Illinois itself moved +6 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

6,169 residents (±165)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

2,328 households (±162)

Beardstown, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k20%†470
$25k–50k22%518
$50k–75k23%532

Homes

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

Owners and renters

2,328 households (±162)

Beardstown, Illinois
Illinois share

Own66%1,533
Rent34%795

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

2,520 workers (±207)

Beardstown, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone76%1,913
Carpool18%461
Public transit0.0%0

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 Cass County, the county holding most of Beardstown's residents.

Cass County has 241 employer establishments, 190 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248; 0.74× Illinois's), with 4,319 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,920. The Census Bureau also counts 760 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 241; 760 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 190; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 4,319
Average annual pay: $55,920; US $68,342

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

Religious organizations	18	14.2	2.55×More than typical	98	$13,204	—
Restaurants and other eating places	16	12.6	0.69×Fewer than typical	182	$16,390	6
Specialty trade contractors	15	11.8	0.76×Fewer than typical	63	$51,000	54
Automotive repair and maintenance	13	10.2	2.03×More than typical	65	$43,323	11
Gasoline stations	10	7.9	2.43×More than typical	78	$24,205	—
Construction of buildings	9	7.1	0.94×Too few to compare	23	$53,261	25
Insurance agencies and brokerages	9	7.1	1.61×Too few to compare	35	$44,914	10
Truck transportation	8	6.3	1.24×Too few to compare	33	$46,182	27
Banks and credit unions	7	5.5	1.70×Too few to compare	118	$56,720	4
Building equipment contractors	7	5.5	0.91×Too few to compare	40	$48,375	7
Full-service restaurants	7	5.5	0.72×Too few to compare	42	$22,214	4
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	6	4.7	3.89×Too few to compare	21	$10,762	10

Rank places for an industry Open Cass County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 12,716 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 Beardstown, 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

51.5KFY2017
22.7KFY2018
12.4KFY2019
64.7KFY2020
0FY2021
31.3KFY2022
298.1KFY2023
89.5KFY2024
-15KFY2025

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 Beardstown, Illinois, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in Cass 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.

Beardstown, Illinois is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Mary E. MillerR-IL-15 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Cass County45100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Cass County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1704351

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends