Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety83#158/924
Economy87#123/925
Housing97#27/925
Health81#180/925
Healthcare63#339/923
Environment32#627/917
Education69#291/925
Infrastructure79#192/925
Community69#284/925
Leisure & amenities93#70/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Effingham, IL micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Dentists · high132 /100k
99/100Illinois 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low8.7%
97/100Illinois 15.6%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · low23.0%
97/100Illinois 29.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low33.9%
97/100Illinois 47.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Income adjusted for local prices · high$91,153
96/100Illinois $74,553United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.2×
95/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Access to exercise opportunities · low50.2%
8/100Illinois 90.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.9 /10k
12/100Illinois 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.35%
14/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Traffic deaths · high24.1 /100k
15/100Illinois 9.8 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high102 mi
16/100Illinois 35 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high8.6 µg/m³
16/100Illinois 8.8 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 44% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+44 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedImproving
0.7 /1k (2021) → 1.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+110%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
New business applicationsImproving
5.1 /1k (2020) → 9.1 /1k (2025)
+77%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
36.8% (2010 & 2021) → 50.2% (2022 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
20.6 /100k (2021) → 10.3 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−50%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$62,449 (2019) → $91,153 (2024)
+46%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204

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, Effingham, IL micropolitan area improved on 13 of 27 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 8 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Real income+46%$62,449 → $91,153
Restaurants+28%10.0 /10k → 12.7 /10k
Inequality−0.0350.454 → 0.419
Price / income−0.4×2.5× → 2.2×
Homicides−100%2.8 /100k → 0.0 /100k

Declined3

Overdose deaths+175%3.7 /100k → 10.3 /100k
Firearm deaths+58%6.4 /100k → 10.1 /100k
Pharmacies−33%1.3 /10k → 0.9 /10k

All 27 measures

Change of every measure of Effingham, IL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.7 /10k2020	5.6 /10k2025	+20%	Improved	75%
Average commute time	17.7 min2015-2019	19.4 min2020-2024	+1.6 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.7%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Improved	43%
Broadband subscriptions	81.2%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Improved	47%
Child poverty rate	14.1%2015-2019	13.8%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Distance to an airport	102 mi2020	102 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	87%
Drug overdose deaths	3.7 /100k2020	10.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+175%	Declined	1%
Effective property tax rate	1.45%2015-2019	1.35%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Firearm deaths	6.4 /100k2020	10.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+58%	Declined	7%
Grocery stores	2.0 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	80%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	72%
High school diploma or higher	93.1%2015-2019	93.3%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	2.2×2020-2024	−0.4×	Improved	99%
Homicide rate	2.8 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$62,4492019	$91,1532024	+46%	Improved	96%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4542015-2019	0.4192020-2024	−0.035	Improved	96%
Median household income	$56,6852015-2019	$79,1572020-2024	+40%	Improved	95%
New business applications	5.1 /1k2020	9.1 /1k2025	+77%	Improved	85%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−33%	Declined	7%
Poverty rate	10.6%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Public libraries	1.3 /10k2019	1.3 /10k2024	+0.1%	Little change	64%
Rent as share of income	23.0%2015-2019	23.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Rent-burdened households	32.3%2015-2019	33.9%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Restaurants and bars	10.0 /10k2020	12.7 /10k2025	+28%	Improved	96%
Traffic deaths	23.1 /100k2015-2019	24.1 /100k2020-2024	+4.3%	Little change	55%
Unemployment rate	6.5%2020	3.6%2025	−2.9 points	Improved	47%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.5%2015-2019	6.5%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	19%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Effingham, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Effingham, IL micropolitan area 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, Effingham, IL micropolitan area itself moved +2.9 points in standing on average over the same 27 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

44,856 residents

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

18,128 households (±298)

Effingham, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k14%2,486
$25k–50k17%3,113
$50k–75k16%2,976

Homes

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

Owners and renters

18,128 households (±298)

Effingham, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Own80%14,431
Rent20%3,697

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

22,587 workers (±609)

Effingham, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone80%18,037
Carpool5.8%1,307
Public transit0.2%†40

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 no occupation wages for Effingham, IL micropolitan area.

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.

Effingham, IL has 1,441 employer establishments, 322 for every 10,000 residents (1.30× the US rate of 248), with 33,971 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,551. The Census Bureau also counts 3,555 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,441; 3,555 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 322; US 248
Paid employees: 33,971
Average annual pay: $50,551; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	122	27.3	1.31×More than typical	1,332	$75,087	141
Specialty trade contractors	104	23.3	1.50×More than typical	783	$66,415	274
Restaurants and other eating places	83	18.6	1.01×About typical	1,838	$21,569	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	60	13.4	2.66×More than typical	468	$46,056	54
Truck transportation	47	10.5	2.08×More than typical	597	$64,514	82
Construction of buildings	44	9.8	1.30×More than typical	288	$63,983	112
Limited-service restaurants	43	9.6	1.20×About typical	950	$20,319	5
Offices of other health practitioners	43	9.6	1.58×More than typical	124	$46,790	77
Religious organizations	42	9.4	1.69×More than typical	373	$23,788	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	40	8.9	1.33×More than typical	230	$42,335	240
Building equipment contractors	39	8.7	1.45×More than typical	353	$64,184	41
Insurance agencies and brokerages	36	8	1.83×More than typical	101	$62,000	63

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 44,727 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $26.1K on contracts performed in Effingham, IL micropolitan area: $0.58 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $26.1K
Per resident: $0.58; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Department of the Army$26.1K100%

Top recipients

NOVA SOLUTIONS, INC.$26.1K100%

Spending by fiscal year

67.3KFY2017
97.2KFY2018
86.3KFY2019
7.4KFY2020
90.4KFY2021
330.5KFY2022
27.1KFY2023
50.4KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing · 3372$26.1K100%

Largest awards

FURNITURE FOR LMON REQUIREMENT FOR SCIF.$26.1K
NOVA SOLUTIONS, INC.· Effingham County, IL· Other equipment & supplies· Jun 3, 2026 – Jun 3, 2026· W50S8U26PA013

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $334M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Effingham, IL micropolitan area: $7,468 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $334M; +8.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,468; US $12,955
Loan face value: $20.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 5.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$189.8M57%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$32.5M9.7%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$20.3M6.1%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$19.6M5.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$18M5.4%
93.600 · Head Start$9.9M3.0%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$7.9M2.4%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$5.3M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$39.7M12%
SPRINGFIELD, IL
EMBARRAS RIVER BASIN AGENCY INC$6.2M1.9%
GREENUP, IL
C.E.F.S. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY CORPORATION$5.1M1.5%
EFFINGHAM, IL
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS$2M0.6%
CHICAGO, IL
DIETERICH VILLAGE HALL

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$232.6M70%
Federal Highway Administration$39.7M12%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$22.6M6.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$13.2M3.9%
Department of Agriculture
Administration for Children and Families

Assistance by fiscal year

268.4MFY2021
319.2MFY2022
286.2MFY2023
277.6MFY2024
308.9MFY2025
334MFY2026

County aggregates

77%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Effingham, IL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

EffinghamPrincipal city12,342

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Areas based in Illinois, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Charleston-Mattoon, IL49

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M20820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Effingham, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Effingham, IL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Illinois

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought