Larchmound · National Register of Historic Places
Olney’s story
178 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1848Olney is settled
OlneyIL
A town of 8,577, settled in 1848. A typical home worth about $133K.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
8,577
−4.5% since 2010
Typical home
$133K
+9.4% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
41.0
years
Jobs based here
3,582
Balanced
What makes Olney stand out
The 3 things Olney does most differently from other towns.
$133Ktypical home
Housing
$133K typical home
55% below the IL typical home
Up 9.4% in a year.
Outdoors
#239 most walkable in IL
2.0 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
2.2% of the town is conserved land.
1colleges
College town
1 college
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges
Students are part of everyday life here.
College town
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges calls Olney home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Olney’s report card
Now in Olney
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Olney is #61 of 861 in IL for “Least snow”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Olney’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Local news
All →- Man accused of killing two people in Olney, Illinois is back in court on a “status” hearingWTHI-TV · Jul 23
- OLNEY MAN FACING 6 COUNTS RELATED TO MURDERS TUESDAY EVENINGOlney IL Radio · Jul 9
- Illinois State Police Arrests Olney Man For Murder In Double HomicideEffingham Radio · Jul 9
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Olney. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Olney
About one in 3 of Olney’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Olney Township (7%), Flora (2%) and Salem (2%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
34%work in town
Where working residents work
In Olney34%
Olney Township7%
Flora2%
Salem2%
Effingham2%
21 mi
median commute distance
3,582
jobs based in Olney
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Olney home is worth about $133K
The typical Olney home is worth about $133,000, up 9.4% in a year, 55% below the Illinois typical home.
$133KZillow home value
Typical home value
Olney$133K
Illinois$298K
+9.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
2.2% of Olney is conserved land
2.0 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
2.2%conserved
2.2%
conserved · 99 of 4,426 acres
2.0 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
#239
most walkable in IL
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alvin Musgrove Park | 1.2 mi | 49 |
| 2. Olney City Park | 0.7 mi | 53 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 32% of U.S. towns
Olney beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Olney | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.1% | 9.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.1% | 10.3% |
Carle Richland Memorial Hospital
0.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
20th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Who lives here
Older than Illinois overall, and fewer college graduates
People 65 and older are 22% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (23% statewide). 21% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Illinois.
41median age · IL 39
OlneyIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
13%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school35%
Some college20%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s13%
Graduate8%
| Olney | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.1% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.5% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.7% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.4% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.7% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.2% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimatesBy the numbers →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Olney has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
Spring45–65°
Summer65–86°
Fall46–68°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 42% of U.S. towns
Olney reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 58% report less.
C+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Olney1.3
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Olney11.7
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
42nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
28th
percentile among IL towns
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
98
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Landmarks
4 places in Olney on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Olney
City in Illinois, United States
Olney ( AWL-nee) is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Olney had a population of 8,701.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1848
- Population
- 8,701
- Area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 489 ft
- ZIP code
- 62450
- Area code
- 618
More about Olney
Still missing for Olney:archive photosupcoming events