The Town FilesBraidwood, Illinois
City in Will County · population 6,194 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $202,500
- Household income
- $82,202
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 22 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 25
- Median age
- 46.3
Braidwood is a city of 6,194 people in Will County, Illinois. The median home is worth $202,500, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for a vacation home than 98% of Illinois towns, easier by car than 80% of Illinois towns, more of a college town than 71% of Illinois towns.
How Braidwood ranks
Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Braidwood is worth $202,500, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $82,202, which is more affordable than 38% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,044 a month. 86.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Braidwood | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $202,500 | $156,600 |
| Median rent | $1,044 | $960 |
| Median household income | $82,202 | $72,500 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.5× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 86.8% | 76.6% |
| Median year built | 1994 | 1967 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 10.7% | — |
Who lives in Braidwood
| People | Braidwood | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.3 | 40.4 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.5% | 18.7% |
| Under 18 | 17.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 9.9% |
| Veterans | 6.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.9% | — |
| Work from home | 3.8% | 8.9% |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.6% | 90.4% |
Weather in Braidwood
July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 37.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 22.0 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 127 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Braidwood since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 13 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 17, 1963 about 8.9 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 69 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 15, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 28 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 10, 2013.
Severe weather in Will County since 1996
Will County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 20, 2024 | Flood | DR-4819: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3435: Covid-19 |
| November 26, 2013 | Tornado | DR-4157: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| May 10, 2013 | Flood | DR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Will County
Will County had 263,673 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,570 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Braidwood itself the ACS puts it at 2.5%.
Public schools in Braidwood
6 public schools with 1,375 students, about 11.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reed-Custer Elementary School | PK-5 | 691 | 13.0 |
| Reed-Custer High School | 9-12 | 397 | 11.3 |
| Reed-Custer Middle School | 6-8 | 287 | 10.3 |
| SOWIC-EC Reed Custer | Other | — | — |
| SOWIC-Educ & Life Skills-Reed Cus | Other | — | — |
| SOWIC-Educ & Life Skills-Reed Cus | Other | — | — |
Towns near Braidwood
- Diamond, IL1.8 mi · 2,640 people · home $220,200
- Coal City, IL3.0 mi · 5,705 people · home $201,600
- Wilmington, IL4.7 mi · 5,664 people · home $223,800
- Channahon, IL10.7 mi · 13,383 people · home $327,900
- Minooka, IL12.8 mi · 12,758 people · home $315,600
- Morris, IL12.9 mi · 14,163 people · home $247,400
- Dwight, IL15.7 mi · 4,032 people · home $155,600
- Manhattan, IL16.3 mi · 9,385 people · home $332,600
Braidwood questions
Is Braidwood, Illinois a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Braidwood scores better for retirees than 16% of Illinois towns and quieter than 32%. 19.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.3).
How much does a house cost in Braidwood?
The median owner-occupied home in Braidwood is valued at $202,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $82,202, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $1,044 a month.
What is the weather like in Braidwood?
July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.2 inches of precipitation a year and 22.0 inches of snow.
Does Braidwood get tornadoes?
25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Braidwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 17, 1963. The typical Illinois town has had 27.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)