City · Scott County, Illinois

Winchester, Illinois

Winchester is a city in Scott County, Illinois, part of the Jacksonville, IL metro area. It has 1,498 residents. Winchester, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 33 out of 100 (low), ranking #10,520 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #523 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), firearm deaths (low) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on grocery stores (low), access to exercise opportunities (low) and pharmacies (low).

33Low

Quality-of-life score: #10,520 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #523 of 697 in IL
Population: 1,498 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,327.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 1782270

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 67 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.

Safety88#1,843/15,637
Economy19#12,704/15,631
Housing96#598/14,977
Health35#10,206/15,609
Healthcare4#15,044/15,650
Environment22#12,073/15,453
Education27#11,438/15,649
Infrastructure7#14,492/15,650
Community34#10,364/15,651
Leisure & amenities84#2,453/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Job growth · high7.2%
99/100Illinois 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataScott County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Illinois 10.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataScott County value
Restaurants and bars · high18.5 /10k
98/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsScott County value
Public libraries · high4.1 /10k
98/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesScott County value
Rent-burdened households · low26.5%
98/100Illinois 47.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Students per teacher · low10.8×
95/100Illinois 13.6×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsScott County value

Weaknesses

Grocery stores · low0.0 /10k
0/100Illinois 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsScott County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low8.9%
0/100Illinois 90.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteScott County value
Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Illinois 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsScott County value
New business applications · low6.8 /1k
2/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauScott County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Illinois 4.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyScott County value
Dentists · low21 /100k
5/100Illinois 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteScott County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,856 (2015-2019) → 1,498 (2020-2024)
−19%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
19.9% (2015-2019) → 44.1% (2020-2024)
+24 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
35.3% (2015-2019) → 26.5% (2020-2024)
−8.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateWorsening
13.2% (2015-2019) → 21.2% (2020-2024)
+8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
23.2% (2015-2019) → 18.9% (2020-2024)
−4.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.422 (2015-2019) → 0.495 (2020-2024)
+17%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483

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

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Child poverty+24 points19.9% → 44.1%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Winchester, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	26.2 min2015-2019	24.3 min2020-2024	−1.8 min	Within the margin of error	69%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.7%2015-2019	18.3%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Broadband subscriptions	81.1%2015-2019	83.9%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Child poverty rate	19.9%2015-2019	44.1%2020-2024	+24 points	Declined	3%
Effective property tax rate	1.68%2015-2019	1.56%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	40%
High school diploma or higher	93.5%2015-2019	92.3%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Home price to income ratio	1.7×2015-2019	1.9×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	63%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4222015-2019	0.4952020-2024	+0.074	Within the margin of error	9%
Median household income	$51,6252015-2019	$48,2502020-2024	−6.5%	Within the margin of error	4%
Poverty rate	13.2%2015-2019	21.2%2020-2024	+8 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	23.2%2015-2019	18.9%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Rent-burdened households	35.3%2015-2019	26.5%2020-2024	−8.9 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Unemployment rate	6.3%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	73%

“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 Winchester, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Winchester, 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, Winchester, Illinois itself moved −11.2 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

1,498 residents (±182)

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: 80 and over women (+5.1 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

1,498 residents (±182)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

White96%1,432
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino1.2%†18

Education

1,022 residents (±121)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

No high school diploma7.7%†79
High school or GED49%498
Some college15%151

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

676 households (±77)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k27%183
$25k–50k24%†162
$50k–75k24%†159
$75k–100k9.8%†66
$100k–150k7.7%†52
$150k–200k4.4%†30
$200k or more3.6%†24

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $75k–100k (−7.9 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

676 households (±77)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

Own64%433
Rent36%243

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−11.0 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

219 households (±52)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $75071%†155
$750–1,00014%†31
$1,000–1,50010%†22

Home values

433 homes (±59)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $150k73%317
$150k–250k22%†95
$250k–400k4.9%†21

Age of homes

773 homes (±86)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

2010 or later3.2%†25
2000–20092.6%†20
1980–199916%†120

Size of homes

773 homes (±86)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

Studio0.3%†2
1 bedroom12%†95
2 bedrooms39%299

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

610 workers (±99)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone85%517
Carpool6.7%†41
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.6%†16
Bike0.0%0
Work from home5.9%†36
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

574 workers (±100)

Winchester, Illinois
Illinois share

Under 15 min22%†129
15–29 min45%260
30–44 min16%†90

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 Jacksonville, 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 Scott County, the county holding most of Winchester's residents.

Scott County has 84 employer establishments, 173 for every 10,000 residents (0.70× the US rate of 248; 0.68× Illinois's), with 604 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,068. The Census Bureau also counts 301 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 84; 301 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 173; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 604
Average annual pay: $57,068; US $68,342

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

Truck transportation	7	14.4	2.84×Too few to compare	9	$41,222	19
Religious organizations	6	12.3	2.22×Too few to compare	10	$11,000	—
Restaurants and other eating places	6	12.3	0.67×Too few to compare	27	$18,519	—
Specialty trade contractors	6	12.3	0.80×Too few to compare	7	$60,429	28
Banks and credit unions	4	8.2	2.54×Too few to compare	24	$58,500	—
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	4	8.2	6.78×Too few to compare	10	$21,900	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	4	8.2	1.87×Too few to compare	15	$46,667	6
Construction of buildings	3	6.2	0.82×Too few to compare	6	$45,667	14
Gasoline stations	3	6.2	1.90×Too few to compare	21	$22,857	—
Legal services	3	6.2	1.15×Too few to compare	3	$28,000	—
Limited-service restaurants	3	6.2	0.77×Too few to compare	23	$14,609	—
Other specialty trade contractors	3	6.2	2.46×Too few to compare	1	$116,000	13

Rank places for an industry Open Scott County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 4,866 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: Winchester is mostly in Scott County.

See federal money in Scott 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.

Winchester, 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.

Scott County49100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Jacksonville, IL52

Other cities and towns in Scott 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

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