Panola, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 36, Panola's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Panola is a small community located in Illinois, within Woodford County. The total population is 36. It ranks as the 1420th most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Panola is 59.5 years. This is 53% higher than the state median of 39.0 years. Only 5.6% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 11.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Panola is $93,750. This is 12% higher than the state median of $83,390. It is also 16% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Panola. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Panola, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $147,200. Housing costs are 44% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, Panola is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 49% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Panola was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

38.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 37.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Panola, Illinois is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Illinois state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.