Scores by category

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

Safety30#648/924
Economy30#645/925
Housing65#323/925
Health39#563/925
Healthcare45#505/923
Environment40#548/917
Education38#577/925
Infrastructure46#501/925
Community23#709/925
Leisure & amenities40#553/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low2.0×
97/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Social associations · high16.5 /10k
94/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high12.2 /10k
89/100Illinois 4.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low19.6 min
82/100Illinois 27.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
81/100Illinois 4.2%2025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Restaurants and bars · high11.1 /10k
79/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

New homes permitted · low0.1 /1k
3/100Illinois 1.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Access to exercise opportunities · low49.1%
7/100Illinois 90.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.59%
7/100Illinois 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Grocery stores · low0.8 /10k
8/100Illinois 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-2.4%
11/100Illinois 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
New business applications · low8.3 /1k
12/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 31% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+31 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedWorsening
0.3 /1k (2021) → 0.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−63%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
New business applicationsImproving
5.1 /1k (2020) → 8.3 /1k (2025)
+63%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Homicide rateWorsening
3.7 /100k (2021) → 5.9 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+59%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Child poverty rateImproving
30.0% (2015-2019) → 18.8% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
25.8% (2020 & 2021) → 36.1% (2023 & 2024)
+10 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

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, Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area improved on 14 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 8 moved within the margin of error and 4 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.

Improved14

Restaurants+32%8.4 /10k → 11.1 /10k
High school++4.9 points87.4% → 92.3%
Child poverty−11 points30.0% → 18.8%
Unemployment−5.1 points10.0% → 4.9%
Poverty−3.5 points17.0% → 13.5%

Declined6

Uninsured+1.7 points7.2% → 8.9%
Homicides+18%5.0 /100k → 5.9 /100k
Firearm deaths+26%12.2 /100k → 15.4 /100k
Pharmacies−23%2.2 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Gyms−23%1.1 /10k → 0.8 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.4 /10k2020	3.0 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	82%
Average commute time	19.6 min2015-2019	19.6 min2020-2024	+0.0 min	Within the margin of error	65%
Average weekly wage	$8912020	$1,1512025	+29%	Improved	90%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.9%2015-2019	18.2%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Broadband subscriptions	80.3%2015-2019	85.7%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Improved	10%
Child poverty rate	30.0%2015-2019	18.8%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	97%
Distance to an airport	85 mi2020	85 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	27.0 /100k2020	14.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−46%	Improved	75%
Effective property tax rate	1.62%2015-2019	1.58%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Firearm deaths	12.2 /100k2020	15.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+26%	Declined	20%
Grocery stores	0.8 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	+2.4%	Little change	60%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−23%	Declined	17%
High school diploma or higher	87.4%2015-2019	92.3%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Improved	95%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	93%
Homicide rate	5.0 /100k2020	5.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+18%	Declined	12%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,2712019	$60,5042024	+34%	Improved	63%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4522015-2019	0.4342020-2024	−0.018	Within the margin of error	88%
Median household income	$49,8962015-2019	$63,1182020-2024	+26%	Improved	48%
New business applications	5.1 /1k2020	8.3 /1k2025	+63%	Improved	73%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−23%	Declined	14%
Poverty rate	17.0%2015-2019	13.5%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Improved	90%
Property crime rate	2,539 /100k2020	1,244 /100k2025	−51%	Improved	87%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	+4.2%	Little change	84%
Public transit commuters	0.8%2015-2019	0.3%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Rent as share of income	27.9%2015-2019	26.9%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent-burdened households	46.1%2015-2019	43.3%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Restaurants and bars	8.4 /10k2020	11.1 /10k2025	+32%	Improved	98%
Suicide rate	19.0 /100k2020	19.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.6%	Little change	58%
Traffic deaths	18.4 /100k2015-2019	23.5 /100k2020-2024	+28%	Declined	20%
Unemployment rate	10.0%2020	4.9%2025	−5.1 points	Improved	93%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.2%2015-2019	8.9%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Declined	11%
Violent crime rate	562 /100k2020	280 /100k2025	−50%	Improved	94%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 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; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; 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 Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Mount Vernon, 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, Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area itself moved +3.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

36,550 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

14,820 households (±266)

Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k18%2,655
$25k–50k21%3,071
$50k–75k21%3,145

Homes

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

Owners and renters

14,820 households (±266)

Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Own72%10,623
Rent28%4,197

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

16,045 workers (±469)

Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone82%13,212
Carpool9.9%1,585
Public transit0.3%†50

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 Mount Vernon, 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.

Mount Vernon, IL has 882 employer establishments, 243 for every 10,000 residents (0.98× the US rate of 248), with 19,260 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,209. The Census Bureau also counts 2,283 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 882; 2,283 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 243; US 248
Paid employees: 19,260
Average annual pay: $52,209; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	84	23.1	1.11×About typical	870	$78,245	64
Restaurants and other eating places	59	16.3	0.88×About typical	1,315	$19,309	11
Religious organizations	48	13.2	2.38×More than typical	214	$20,897	—
Specialty trade contractors	46	12.7	0.82×About typical	300	$70,717	200
Limited-service restaurants	29	8	1.00×About typical	650	$18,646	4
Offices of physicians	27	7.4	1.15×About typical	385	$112,036	13
Full-service restaurants	26	7.2	0.93×About typical	612	$20,255	6
Automotive repair and maintenance	23	6.3	1.26×More than typical	154	$33,545	56
Insurance agencies and brokerages	23	6.3	1.44×More than typical	114	$82,070	51
Building equipment contractors	22	6.1	1.01×About typical	172	$79,698	38
Services to buildings and dwellings	21	5.8	0.86×About typical	44	$42,977	178
Gasoline stations	20	5.5	1.70×More than typical	403	$32,020	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 36,306 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 $919.4K on contracts performed in Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area: $25.43 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $919.4K; +139% vs FY2025
Per resident: $25.43; US $1,994
Sole-source: 85%; 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$900.7K98%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$18.6K2.0%

Top recipients

NATIONAL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT CO.$785.5K85%
ARDL INC$115.2K13%
BPD ENGINEERING, LLC$18.6K2.0%

Spending by fiscal year

1.5MFY2017
1.9MFY2018
10.9MFY2019
9.8MFY2020
5.8MFY2021
2.9MFY2022
2.8MFY2023
991K

Top industries (NAICS)

Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance · 8113$785.5K85%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$115.2K13%
Building finishing contractors · 2383$18.6K2.0%

Largest awards

OVERHAUL OF EMD GENERATOR SETS FOR THE MOTOR VESSEL DREDGE JADWIN.$785.5K
NATIONAL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT CO.· Jefferson County, IL· Equipment maintenance· Mar 6, 2026 – Mar 6, 2026· W912EE26PA008
2026 ANALYTICAL SERVICES TASK ORDER UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (USEPA)REGION 7 SUPERFUND PROGRAM/INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT (IA) SUPPORT$119.8K
ARDL INC· Jefferson County, IL· Professional services· Feb 6, 2026 – Feb 6, 2026· W912P926FA038
REND LAKE$111K
ARDL INC· Jefferson County, IL· Professional services· Apr 3, 2025 – Mar 30, 2026· W912P925F0089
OFFICE FURNITURE INSTALLATION

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 $312.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Mount Vernon, IL micropolitan area: $8,647 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $312.6M; +18% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,647; US $12,955
Loan face value: $16.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$144.4M46%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$33.7M11%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$25.6M8.2%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$21.5M6.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$21.1M6.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$14.9M4.8%
20.263 · Bridge Formula Program$8.9M2.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$7.2M2.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$75.6M24%
SPRINGFIELD, IL
REND LAKE COLLEGE$4.6M1.5%
INA, IL
MT VERNON CITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT NO 80$2.4M0.8%
MOUNT VERNON, IL
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY$2.3M0.7%
MOUNT VERNON, IL
CITY OF MT VERNON$2.2M

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$188.1M60%
Federal Highway Administration$75.6M24%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$23.6M7.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$7.4M2.4%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education$4.8M

Assistance by fiscal year

254.9MFY2021
239.7MFY2022
310.3MFY2023
245.3MFY2024
265.3MFY2025
312.6MFY2026

County aggregates

69%

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 Mount Vernon, 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.

Jefferson CountyCentral county4236,147

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Mount VernonPrincipal city14,090

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.

Centralia, IL34

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/M34500

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Mount Vernon, 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 Mount Vernon, 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

Improved14

Declined6

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 buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type