Prairie City is a city of 378 people in Illinois. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 12% of adults. The median age is 47.5, about 9 years above the US median. 86% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $91,500, having roughly tripled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 0%.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $60,694, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 47.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 90%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Prairie City
What changed most since 1990
Population508 → 378(−26%)US over the same years: +35%
Median home value (2024 dollars)$42,241 → $91,500(+117%)US over the same years: +67%
Adults with a bachelor's degree3.1% → 11.7%(+8.5 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
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)0%(0)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)48%(12)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36%(9)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II4%(1)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 25 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
Prairie City, decade by decade
Prairie City 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
508
$49,108
$42,241
3.1%
2.9
2000
461
$67,174
$48,274
6.7%
5.9
2010
379
$39,561
$69,771
9.3%
5.2
2020
407
$43,179
$83,388
11.2%
18.0
2024
378
$60,694
$91,500
11.7%
27.9
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.
