Scores by category

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

Safety41#9,172/15,637
Economy3#15,218/15,631
Housing55#6,738/14,977
Health10#14,098/15,609
Healthcare45#8,582/15,650
Environment12#13,605/15,453
Education19#12,642/15,649
Infrastructure11#13,908/15,650
Community44#8,728/15,651
Leisure & amenities31#10,752/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Social associations · high20.5 /10k
98/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSaline County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.9×
93/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Pharmacies · high2.6 /10k
92/100Illinois 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSaline County value
Public libraries · high1.8 /10k
89/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSaline County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low2.5%
88/100Illinois 8.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Job growth · high1.8%
87/100Illinois 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataSaline County value

Weaknesses

Broadband subscriptions · low74.8%
2/100Illinois 90.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Hospital quality rating · low1.5
3/100Illinois 3.0United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesSaline County value
Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100Illinois 6.6United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationSaline County value
Flu vaccinations · low26.0%
3/100Illinois 48.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSaline County value
Poverty rate · high29.0%
4/100Illinois 11.5%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Distance to an airport · high121 mi
5/100Illinois 35 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauSaline County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
8,994 (2015-2019) → 8,372 (2020-2024)
−6.9%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
45.4% (2015-2019) → 56.6% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
28.4% (2015-2019) → 39.1% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$35,204 (2015-2019) → $43,415 (2020-2024)
+23%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateWorsening
26.2% (2015-2019) → 29.0% (2020-2024)
+2.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
18.4% (2015-2019) → 15.8% (2020-2024)
−2.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

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, Harrisburg, Illinois improved on 1 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 13 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.

Improved1

Household income+23%$35,204 → $43,415

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Harrisburg, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.1 min2015-2019	18.9 min2020-2024	−1.3 min	Within the margin of error	63%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.4%2015-2019	15.8%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Broadband subscriptions	74.0%2015-2019	74.8%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Child poverty rate	35.2%2015-2019	37.5%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Effective property tax rate	1.81%2015-2019	1.83%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	13%
High school diploma or higher	86.2%2015-2019	84.7%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	1.9×2020-2024	−0.0×	Within the margin of error	81%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4412015-2019	0.4652020-2024	+0.024	Within the margin of error	31%
Median household income	$35,2042015-2019	$43,4152020-2024	+23%	Improved	40%
Poverty rate	26.2%2015-2019	29.0%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Rent as share of income	28.4%2015-2019	39.1%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Rent-burdened households	45.4%2015-2019	56.6%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Unemployment rate	10.1%2015-2019	9.5%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	2.9%2015-2019	2.5%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	51%

“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 Harrisburg, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Harrisburg, 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, Harrisburg, Illinois itself moved −13.1 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

8,372 residents (±314)

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: 10–19 men (−3.3 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

8,372 residents (±314)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

White92%7,739
Black3.4%†285
Hispanic or Latino1.2%†103
Asian0.1%†9
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races2.8%†236

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (+4.3 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

5,908 residents (±305)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma15%†906
High school or GED29%1,694
Some college25%1,451
Associate degree16%925
Bachelor's degree13%743
Graduate degree3.2%†189

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Graduate degree (−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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

3,464 households (±204)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k26%901
$25k–50k29%991
$50k–75k15%†509
$75k–100k10%†363
$100k–150k15%507
$150k–200k3.9%†134
$200k or more1.7%†59

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−13.8 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

3,464 households (±204)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

Own62%2,132
Rent38%1,332

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

1,230 households (±233)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $75049%†597
$750–1,00031%†376
$1,000–1,5005.4%†67

Home values

2,132 homes (±273)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k74%1,577
$150k–250k19%†409
$250k–400k6.1%†129

Age of homes

4,046 homes (±214)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later7.1%†288
2000–20097.9%†321
1980–199915%†614

Size of homes

4,046 homes (±214)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio2.5%†102
1 bedroom16%†665
2 bedrooms28%1,134

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

2,987 workers (±279)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone87%2,592
Carpool5.2%†154
Public transit0.9%†28
Walk1.6%†47
Bike0.1%†2
Work from home3.6%†109
Other1.8%†55

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

2,878 workers (±265)

Harrisburg, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min58%1,671
15–29 min13%†360
30–44 min14%†392

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

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 Saline County, the county holding most of Harrisburg's residents.

Saline County has 538 employer establishments, 234 for every 10,000 residents (0.94× the US rate of 248; 0.92× Illinois's), with 5,502 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,330. The Census Bureau also counts 1,455 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 538; 1,455 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 234; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 5,502
Average annual pay: $45,330; US $68,342

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

Religious organizations	42	18.3	3.29×More than typical	124	$17,573	—
Ambulatory health care services	38	16.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	440	$72,218	52
Restaurants and other eating places	38	16.5	0.90×About typical	717	$17,550	9
Specialty trade contractors	31	13.5	0.87×About typical	253	$77,846	101
Limited-service restaurants	23	10	1.25×About typical	493	$17,126	3
Banks and credit unions	19	8.3	2.56×More than typical	291	$70,797	—
Gasoline stations	19	8.3	2.55×More than typical	153	$25,908	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	18	7.8	1.78×More than typical	63	$56,952	28
Building equipment contractors	17	7.4	1.23×About typical	78	$59,821	24
Individual and family services	15	6.5	2.33×More than typical	86	$30,105	5
Automotive repair and maintenance	14	6.1	1.21×About typical	66	$28,485	54
Full-service restaurants	13	5.7	0.74×Fewer than typical	195	$19,421	3

Rank places for an industry Open Saline County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 22,980 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 $43.5K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Harrisburg, Illinois: $5.20 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $43.5K
Per resident: $5.20; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.6%; 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

Forest Service$41.4K95%
Social Security Administration$1,3543.1%
Defense Logistics Agency$7981.8%

Top recipients

CHRIS HARNER EXCAVATING$36.8K84%
CARON EAST, INC.$1,7033.9%
LEWIS MOBILE WELDING LLC$1,4263.3%
PANACEA CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC$1,3983.2%
FRANCONIA REAL ESTATE SERVICES, INC.$1,3543.1%

Spending by fiscal year

168.7KFY2017
367.7KFY2018
318.4KFY2019
119.8KFY2020
70.3KFY2021
63.2KFY2022
23.1KFY2023
-55.5KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$36.8K84%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$1,7033.9%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$1,4263.3%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1,3983.2%
Offices of real estate agents and brokers · 5312$1,3543.1%
Cut and sew apparel manufacturing · 3152

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

Harrisburg, Illinois's figures are part of those of Saline County, IL ($1.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 4.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Saline 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.

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

House

Mike BostR-IL-12 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.6%

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.

Saline County31100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Saline 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
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/1733136

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends