Equality, Illinois

Village in Gallatin County · population 539 (2020 Census)

Median home: $82,900
Household income: $42,443
Jan low / Jul high: 24° / 89°
Snow a year: 5 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 17
Median age: 41.3

Equality is a village of 539 people in Gallatin County, Illinois. The median home is worth $82,900, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks quieter than 95% of Illinois towns, better for retirees than 81% of Illinois towns.

How Equality 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 Equality is worth $82,900, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $42,443, which is more affordable than 61% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $428 a month. 79.0% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Equality	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$82,900	$156,600
Median rent	$428	$960
Median household income	$42,443	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	2.0×	2.2×
Homeownership	79.0%	76.6%
Median year built	1959	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	3.5%	—

Who lives in Equality

People	Equality	Typical Illinois town
Median age	41.3	40.4
Age 65 and over	20.4%	18.7%
Under 18	24.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.3%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	19.9%	9.9%
Veterans	10.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.5%	—
Work from home	2.3%	8.9%
Average commute	25.1 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	87.3%	90.4%

Weather in Equality

July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 24.0°F. About 47.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 5.3 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 43 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 95 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 Harrisburg station (9.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Equality since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF4, struck on February 29, 2012 about 3.0 miles from the town center and killed 8. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 8 deaths and 112 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 16, 2025.

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 14 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on April 24, 2002.

Severe weather in Gallatin County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Gallatin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Gallatin County has been included in 11 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
June 7, 2011	Severe Storm	DR-1991: Severe Storms And Flooding
July 2, 2009	Severe Storm	DR-1850: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
March 2, 2009	Severe Storm	DR-1826: Severe Winter Storm

Jobs and pay in Gallatin County

Gallatin County had 874 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,088 a year. Unemployment was 5.4% in 2023; in Equality itself the ACS puts it at 5.4%.

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).

Towns near Equality

Ridgway, IL
6.1 mi · 851 people · home $75,000
Eldorado, IL
7.5 mi · 3,743 people · home $66,200
Shawneetown, IL
8.6 mi · 1,054 people · home $85,700
Harrisburg, IL
11.1 mi · 8,219 people · home $84,100
Carrier Mills, IL
16.0 mi · 1,672 people · home $60,100
Galatia, IL
16.6 mi · 827 people · home $70,200
Norris City, IL
16.7 mi · 1,145 people · home $86,700
Rosiclare, IL
21.5 mi · 980 people · home $60,900

Equality questions

Is Equality, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Equality scores better for retirees than 81% of Illinois towns and quieter than 95%. 20.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.3).

How much does a house cost in Equality?

The median owner-occupied home in Equality is valued at $82,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $42,443, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $428 a month.

What is the weather like in Equality?

July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 24.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.6 inches of precipitation a year and 5.3 inches of snow.

Does Equality get tornadoes?

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Equality since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF4 on February 29, 2012. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Equality's Census boundary (GEOID 1724348). 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 2026-11-13.