Village · Bureau County, Illinois

Walnut, Illinois

Walnut is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, part of the Ottawa, IL metro area. It has 1,282 residents. Walnut, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 47 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #8,250 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #364 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on public libraries (high), violent crime rate (low) and home price to income ratio (low). It ranks worst on broadband subscriptions (low), new business applications (low) and hospital quality rating (low).

47Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #8,250 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #364 of 697 in IL
Population: 1,282 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,602.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 1778526

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 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.

Safety77#3,591/15,637
Economy49#8,042/15,631
Housing62#5,713/14,977
Health48#8,082/15,609
Healthcare31#10,872/15,650
Environment47#8,181/15,453
Education57#6,741/15,649
Infrastructure10#14,106/15,650
Community49#7,905/15,651
Leisure & amenities60#6,269/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Public libraries · high4.3 /10k
98/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesBureau County value
Violent crime rate · low48 /100k
98/100Illinois 251 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureBureau County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.6×
97/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Restaurants and bars · high16.0 /10k
96/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBureau County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.341
94/100Illinois 0.481United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Illinois 6.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataBureau County value

Weaknesses

Broadband subscriptions · low76.0%
3/100Illinois 90.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
New business applications · low7.8 /1k
6/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauBureau County value
Hospital quality rating · low2.0
9/100Illinois 3.0United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesBureau County value
Traffic deaths · high28.0 /100k
9/100Illinois 9.8 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataBureau County value
Effective property tax rate · high1.91%
9/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.3 /10k
11/100Illinois 1.1 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBureau County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,370 (2015-2019) → 1,282 (2020-2024)
−6.4%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
57.1% (2015-2019) → 26.5% (2020-2024)
−31 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
36.0% (2015-2019) → 21.9% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Poverty rateImproving
14.8% (2015-2019) → 7.0% (2020-2024)
−7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
8.7% (2015-2019) → 3.2% (2020-2024)
−5.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
17.0% (2015-2019) → 11.7% (2020-2024)
−5.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, Walnut, Illinois improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 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

Inequality−0.1060.447 → 0.341
Poverty−7.8 points14.8% → 7.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Walnut, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.1 min2015-2019	19.6 min2020-2024	−3.6 min	Within the margin of error	83%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.0%2015-2019	19.3%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Broadband subscriptions	79.3%2015-2019	76.0%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Effective property tax rate	2.03%2015-2019	1.91%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	38%
High school diploma or higher	92.9%2015-2019	92.5%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	1.7×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	84%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4472015-2019	0.3412020-2024	−0.106	Improved	96%
Median household income	$53,7502015-2019	$61,7502020-2024	+15%	Within the margin of error	23%
Poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−7.8 points	Improved	89%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	36.0%2015-2019	21.9%2020-2024	−14 points	Within the margin of error	97%

“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 Walnut, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Walnut, 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, Walnut, Illinois itself moved +9.3 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,282 residents (±217)

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 women (+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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,282 residents (±217)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

White96%1,225
Black0.4%†5
Hispanic or Latino2.9%†37

Education

935 residents (±142)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma7.5%†70
High school or GED38%353
Some college28%†264

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

549 households (±87)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k13%†71
$25k–50k19%†103
$50k–75k32%†174
$75k–100k13%†74
$100k–150k17%†94
$150k–200k3.3%†18
$200k or more2.7%†15

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−14.9 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

549 households (±87)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

Own87%477
Rent13%†72

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

72 households (±35)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $75082%†59
$750–1,00014%†10
$1,000–1,5004.2%†3

Home values

477 homes (±88)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k74%352
$150k–250k22%†105
$250k–400k3.6%†17

Age of homes

606 homes (±86)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later0.0%0
2000–20091.0%†6
1980–19991.3%†8

Size of homes

606 homes (±86)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio1.5%†9
1 bedroom4.6%†28
2 bedrooms36%†219

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

608 workers (±122)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone85%514
Carpool6.7%†41
Public transit0.0%0
Walk4.6%†28
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.5%†21
Other0.7%†4

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

587 workers (±121)

Walnut, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min41%243
15–29 min29%†172
30–44 min22%129

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 Ottawa, 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 Bureau County, the county holding most of Walnut's residents.

Bureau County has 699 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.84× Illinois's), with 9,051 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,520. The Census Bureau also counts 1,925 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 699; 1,925 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 9,051
Average annual pay: $51,520; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	50	15.3	0.83×About typical	609	$16,563	10
Specialty trade contractors	43	13.1	0.85×About typical	198	$83,545	163
Truck transportation	42	12.8	2.54×More than typical	361	$92,114	83
Ambulatory health care services	40	12.2	0.59×Fewer than typical	235	$77,409	66
Religious organizations	36	11	1.98×More than typical	171	$16,415	—
Full-service restaurants	27	8.2	1.07×About typical	282	$18,014	6
Automotive repair and maintenance	24	7.3	1.46×More than typical	126	$48,111	25
Insurance agencies and brokerages	22	6.7	1.53×More than typical	50	$75,000	39
Services to buildings and dwellings	22	6.7	1.00×About typical	106	$41,377	149
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	21	6.4	5.29×More than typical	81	$18,136	13
Banks and credit unions	20	6.1	1.89×More than typical	201	$58,234	—
Gasoline stations	20	6.1	1.88×More than typical	230	$32,622	—

Rank places for an industry Open Bureau County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 32,748 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

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

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

See federal money in Bureau 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.

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