Penfield, Illinois Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 190, Penfield'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

Penfield is a small community located in Illinois, within Champaign County. The total population is 190. It ranks as the 1220th most populous out of 1,445 Census-designated places in Illinois.

Age Demographics

The median age in Penfield is 52.7 years. This is 35% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Penfield is $97,000. This is 16% higher than the state median of $83,390. It is also 20% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.4%. This is 5% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.8%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Penfield, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $96,200. Housing costs are 63% lower than the state median of $263,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.0x, Penfield is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 85.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 28% higher than the state average of 67.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

Penfield has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.7%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (96.3% vs 58.1%). The Hispanic or Latino population (3.7%) is well below the state average of 18.8%.

Education

2.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 95% lower 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 Penfield, 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.