Lena is a city of 2,761 people in Illinois. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $146,000. 1% of people here were born outside the United States. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Owners hold 76% of the housing stock. Renters pay $664 a month at the median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $72,663, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 10%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lena
What changed most since 1990
White share100.0% → 94.8%(−5.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$130,804 → $146,000(+12%)US over the same years: +67%
Median age38.8 → 41.2(+2.4 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Lena's population equals 6.3% of Stephenson County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 1.4% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 1.6% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.7%(35)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.1%(26)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.3%(60)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.5%(12)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 161 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lena, decade by decade
Lena population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
2,657
$68,152
$130,804
10.7%
0.0
2000
2,887
$72,770
$162,492
14.1%
4.7
2010
2,912
$63,555
$163,422
17.2%
6.3
2020
2,772
$68,017
$151,384
28.1%
14.4
2024
2,761
$72,663
$146,000
24.6%
12.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
