St. ElmoIL
A town of 1,257, settled in 1871. A typical home worth about $127K.
Population
1,257
−12.1% since 2010
Typical home
$127K
−7.4% in a year
Household income
$45K
median
Jobs based here
734
Balanced
What makes St. Elmo stand out The 2 things St. Elmo does most differently from other towns.
Small town 1,257 people, and everyone knows the way In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
What should every visitor to St. Elmo know? Nearby towns
Residents weigh in
Live in St. Elmo? Is a C− for health right?
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Is St. Elmo still affordable for young families? → How do you get to work from St. Elmo? → What’s a piece of St. Elmo history most people don’t know? → New to St. Elmo? Ask neighbors anything →
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar. Add an event
The data Ordered by what stands out in St. Elmo. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical St. Elmo home is worth about $127K The typical St. Elmo home is worth about $127,000, down 7.4% in a year, 57% below the Illinois typical home.
$127K Zillow home value
Typical home value St. Elmo $127K
Illinois $298K
−7.4%
value change, 1 year
Health
Healthier than 19% of U.S. towns St. Elmo beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
C− Health Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
What stands out St. Elmo IL More older adults who have lost all their teeth 23% 10.3% More adults with COPD 10.5% 6.3% More smokers 18.3% 12.1%
Fayette County Hospital
13.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
7th
percentile among IL towns
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers St. Elmo has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
16″ snow a winter
Typical low → high °F Winter 24–40°
Spring 44–64°
Summer 64–85°
Fall 45–67°
Oct 24
typical first frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
Work & commute
About one in nine working residents works right in St. Elmo Most working residents leave St. Elmo for work: only 11% work in town. The top destinations are Effingham (16%), Vandalia (6%) and Altamont (3%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
11% work in town
Where working residents work In St. Elmo 11%
Effingham 16%
Vandalia 6%
Altamont 3%
Springfield 3%
21 mi
median commute distance
734
jobs based in St. Elmo
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Safety
Crime reported in St. Elmo St. Elmo's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents St. Elmo 2.4
Illinois 2.6
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents St. Elmo 6.5
Illinois 15.6
U.S. 15.5
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
8
property crimes reported in 2025
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
60 risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
60 High risk Lower Higher Inland flooding Earthquakes Cold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
A shrinking town St. Elmo has shrunk 12.1% since 2010 1,426 people in 2010; 1,257 today.
What’s changed most in St. Elmo? 1,426 2010
1,254 2020
1,257 Today
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
2010 · St Elmo 00368 · Wikimedia Commons
St. Elmo’s story
155 years in pictures
7 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
Explore the history →
About St. Elmo City in Illinois, United States
St. Elmo or Saint Elmo is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2020 census. St. Elmo was established in 1871.
From Wikipedia , licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Established 1871
Population 1,254
Area 1.2 sq mi
Elevation 614 ft
ZIP code 62458
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