The Town Files

Hampshire, Illinois

Village in Kane County · population 7,667 (2020 Census)

Map: where Hampshire is in IllinoisHampshire
Median home
$329,800
Household income
$94,773
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 84°
Snow a year
34 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
36.3

Hampshire is a village of 7,667 people in Kane County, Illinois. The median home is worth $329,800, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks more of a college town than 98% of Illinois towns, better for families than 75% of Illinois towns, better for young professionals than 74% of Illinois towns.

Hampshire in our rankings:

How Hampshire 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.

Hampshire lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement35th pctFamilies75th pctQuiet24th pctWalkability28th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals74th pctVibrancy44th pctHip & trendy3rd pctCollege town98th pctUpscale72nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit53rd pctDriving34th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Hampshire is worth $329,800, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $94,773, which is more affordable than 11% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $2,589 a month. 83.3% of households own their home.

Hampshire vs Kane County vs typical Illinois townHampshireKane CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$329,800$327,000$156,600Household income$94,773$103,163$72,500Monthly rent$2,589$1,453$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingHampshireTypical Illinois town
Median home value$329,800$156,600
Median rent$2,589$960
Median household income$94,773$72,500
Home value ÷ income3.5×2.2×
Homeownership83.3%76.6%
Median year built20041967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Hampshire

PeopleHampshireTypical Illinois town
Median age36.340.4
Age 65 and over10.1%18.7%
Under 1825.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher28.6%21.8%
Below the poverty line7.8%9.9%
Veterans7.0%—
Born outside the U.S.11.7%—
Work from home23.6%8.9%
Average commute28.2 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband86.0%90.4%

Weather in Hampshire

July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 12.7°F. About 37.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.4 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 147 nights at or below freezing.

Hampshire monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°13°Jan33°16°Feb45°26°Mar59°36°Apr70°47°May80°57°Jun84°62°Jul82°60°Aug75°52°Sep62°40°Oct47°29°Nov35°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.79.51.69.22.13.83.81.04.64.64.04.23.73.00.12.41.71.99.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Marengo station (11.4 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hampshire since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 9.6 miles from the town center and killed 6. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 6 deaths and 75 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 24, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Hampshire by decade01950s21960s31970s11980s11990s02000s02010s72020s
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 35 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 20, 2013.

Severe weather in Kane County since 1996

Storm events in Kane County since 1996 by typeHail201Flood42Drought16Tornado29High Wind43Heavy Rain17Heavy Snow19Flash Flood43
NOAA Storm Events Database, Kane County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Kane County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3435: Covid-19
May 10, 2013FloodDR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
March 17, 2011SnowstormDR-1960: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
October 3, 2008Severe StormDR-1800: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Kane County

Kane County had 213,795 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,791 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Hampshire itself the ACS puts it at 2.5%.

Largest industries in Kane CountyManufacturing33,480 jobs · $72,281Health care & social assistan…23,627 jobs · $63,630Retail20,382 jobs · $38,428Administrative & support17,755 jobs · $40,894Hotels & restaurants17,639 jobs · $26,012Wholesale trade13,716 jobs · $87,615
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Kane County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Kane 5.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Hampshire

6 public schools with 4,354 students, about 16.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Hampshire High School9-121,95516.2
Hampshire Middle School6-880916.2
Gary D Wright Elem SchPK-570118.9
Hampshire Elem SchoolK-545216.1
Big Timber Elementary SchoolK-543712.9
NIA D/HH HS PrgrmOther——

Towns near Hampshire

Hampshire questions

Is Hampshire, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hampshire scores better for retirees than 35% of Illinois towns and quieter than 24%. 10.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.3).

How much does a house cost in Hampshire?

The median owner-occupied home in Hampshire is valued at $329,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $94,773, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $2,589 a month.

What is the weather like in Hampshire?

July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 12.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.6 inches of precipitation a year and 34.4 inches of snow.

Does Hampshire get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hampshire since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hampshire's Census boundary (GEOID 1732525). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.