The Town FilesPaxton, Illinois
City in Ford County · population 4,450 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $120,400
- Household income
- $62,386
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 18 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 28
- Median age
- 39.3
Paxton is a city of 4,450 people in Ford County, Illinois. The median home is worth $120,400, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks more walkable than 78% of Illinois towns.
How Paxton 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 Paxton is worth $120,400, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $62,386, which is more affordable than 68% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $784 a month. 72.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Paxton | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $120,400 | $156,600 |
| Median rent | $784 | $960 |
| Median household income | $62,386 | $72,500 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.9× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 72.9% | 76.6% |
| Median year built | 1960 | 1967 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Paxton
| People | Paxton | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.3 | 40.4 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.0% | 18.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.7% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.6% | 9.9% |
| Veterans | 9.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.7% | — |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 8.9% |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.9% | 90.4% |
Weather in Paxton
July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 15.4°F. About 37.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.3 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 133 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paxton since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on June 11, 2026 about 4.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 28, 2019.
Severe weather in Ford County since 1996
Ford County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for tornado, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3435: Covid-19 |
| March 17, 2011 | Snowstorm | DR-1960: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| September 7, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3230: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| May 21, 2002 | Tornado | DR-1416: Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Ford County
Ford County had 5,727 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,831 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Paxton itself the ACS puts it at 1.6%.
Public schools in Paxton
4 public schools with 1,238 students, about 12.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Peterson Elem School | PK-5 | 585 | 13.0 |
| Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School | 9-12 | 374 | 11.0 |
| Paxton-Buckley-Loda Jr High Sch | 6-8 | 279 | 12.7 |
| Panther Academy | 9-12 | — | — |
Towns near Paxton
- Rantoul, IL11.0 mi · 12,371 people · home $118,200
- Gibson City, IL14.5 mi · 3,475 people · home $153,800
- Hoopeston, IL23.1 mi · 4,915 people · home $78,100
- Mahomet, IL23.8 mi · 9,434 people · home $299,100
- St. Joseph, IL23.9 mi · 3,810 people · home $270,900
- Urbana, IL24.4 mi · 38,336 people · home $184,900
- Champaign, IL25.3 mi · 88,302 people · home $210,900
- Savoy, IL28.6 mi · 8,857 people · home $320,300
Paxton questions
Is Paxton, Illinois a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Paxton scores better for retirees than 37% of Illinois towns and quieter than 49%. 20.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.3).
How much does a house cost in Paxton?
The median owner-occupied home in Paxton is valued at $120,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,386, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $784 a month.
What is the weather like in Paxton?
July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 15.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.9 inches of precipitation a year and 18.3 inches of snow.
Does Paxton get tornadoes?
28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paxton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on June 11, 2026. 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)