Sumner, Illinois

City in Lawrence County · population 2,631 (2020 Census)

Median home: $46,000
Household income: $55,625
Jan low / Jul high: 21° / 88°
Snow a year: 16 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 11
Median age: 37.2

Sumner is a city of 2,631 people in Lawrence County, Illinois. The median home is worth $46,000, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks quieter than 92% of Illinois towns, better for young professionals than 83% of Illinois towns, better for retirees than 76% of Illinois towns.

Sumner in our rankings:

How Sumner 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Sumner is worth $46,000, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 0.8 times the median household income of $55,625, which is more affordable than 100% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $738 a month. 71.7% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Sumner	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$46,000	$156,600
Median rent	$738	$960
Median household income	$55,625	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	0.8×	2.2×
Homeownership	71.7%	76.6%
Median year built	1954	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	1.3%	—

Who lives in Sumner

People	Sumner	Typical Illinois town
Median age	37.2	40.4
Age 65 and over	5.1%	18.7%
Under 18	11.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.4%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	35.3%	9.9%
Veterans	4.7%	—
Born outside the U.S.	4.6%	—
Work from home	2.0%	8.9%
Average commute	23.1 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	95.2%	90.4%

Weather in Sumner

July highs average 88.3°F and January lows 21.3°F. About 46.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 15.5 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 40 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 98 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lawrenceville 2Wsw station (7.9 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sumner since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 1, 1974 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 21, 2026.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 24, 2006.

Severe weather in Lawrence County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Lawrence County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Lawrence County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 26, 2020	Biological	DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3435: Covid-19
May 10, 2013	Flood	DR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
June 7, 2011	Severe Storm	DR-1991: Severe Storms And Flooding
June 24, 2008	Severe Storm	DR-1771: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Lawrence County

Lawrence County had 4,016 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,158 a year. Unemployment was 5.3% in 2023; in Sumner itself the ACS puts it at 19.7%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Sumner

1 public school with 213 students, about 17.8 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Sumner Attendance Center	4-6	213	17.8

Towns near Sumner

Lawrenceville, IL
9.7 mi · 4,164 people · home $71,300
Olney, IL
11.8 mi · 8,701 people · home $99,800
Vincennes, IN
19.4 mi · 16,759 people · home $111,600
Mount Carmel, IL
21.1 mi · 7,015 people · home $89,300
Robinson, IL
21.5 mi · 7,150 people · home $109,100
Newton, IL
24.7 mi · 2,777 people · home $95,400
Princeton, IN
29.4 mi · 8,301 people · home $128,700

Sumner questions

Is Sumner, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sumner scores better for retirees than 76% of Illinois towns and quieter than 92%. 5.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.2).

How much does a house cost in Sumner?

The median owner-occupied home in Sumner is valued at $46,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $55,625, so homes cost about 0.8 times income. Median rent is $738 a month.

What is the weather like in Sumner?

July highs average 88.3°F and January lows 21.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.6 inches of precipitation a year and 15.5 inches of snow.

Does Sumner get tornadoes?

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sumner since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 1, 1974. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sumner's Census boundary (GEOID 1773703). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

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)

Data snapshot 2026-11-12.