Lacon, Illinois

City in Marshall County · population 1,878 (2020 Census)

Median home: $121,900
Household income: $63,162
Jan low / Jul high: 18° / 87°
Snow a year: 25 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 20
Median age: 38.8

Lacon is a city of 1,878 people in Marshall County, Illinois. The median home is worth $121,900, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for retirees than 96% of Illinois towns, quieter than 90% of Illinois towns, better for families than 81% of Illinois towns.

How Lacon 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 Lacon is worth $121,900, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $63,162, which is more affordable than 68% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $817 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	Lacon	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$121,900	$156,600
Median rent	$817	$960
Median household income	$63,162	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	1.9×	2.2×
Homeownership	71.7%	76.6%
Median year built	1959	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Lacon

People	Lacon	Typical Illinois town
Median age	38.8	40.4
Age 65 and over	21.2%	18.7%
Under 18	22.8%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.7%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	14.8%	9.9%
Veterans	9.8%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.0%	—
Work from home	7.9%	8.9%
Average commute	33.0 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	83.1%	90.4%

Weather in Lacon

July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 18.0°F. About 38.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 24.6 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 29 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 121 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 Lacon station (0.6 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lacon since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on June 11, 2026 about 7.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 11, 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 43 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on April 9, 2001.

Severe weather in Marshall County since 1996

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

Marshall County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

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
March 17, 2011	Snowstorm	DR-1960: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
December 29, 2006	Snowstorm	EM-3269: Snow

Jobs and pay in Marshall County

Marshall County had 2,765 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,124 a year. Unemployment was 5.2% in 2023; in Lacon itself the ACS puts it at 5.3%.

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 Lacon

1 public school with 262 students, about 15.4 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Midland Elementary School	PK-4	262	15.4

Towns near Lacon

Henry, IL
7.0 mi · 2,320 people · home $117,000
Chillicothe, IL
8.9 mi · 6,128 people · home $132,900
Washburn, IL
9.3 mi · 1,032 people · home $89,100
Rome, IL
11.5 mi · 1,604 people · home $159,800
Toluca, IL
14.3 mi · 1,340 people · home $113,500
Metamora, IL
15.9 mi · 3,904 people · home $201,800
Hennepin, IL
16.4 mi · 769 people · home $168,300
Bradford, IL
16.9 mi · 676 people · home $80,700

Lacon questions

Is Lacon, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lacon scores better for retirees than 96% of Illinois towns and quieter than 90%. 21.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.8).

How much does a house cost in Lacon?

The median owner-occupied home in Lacon is valued at $121,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,162, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $817 a month.

What is the weather like in Lacon?

July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 18.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.4 inches of precipitation a year and 24.6 inches of snow.

Does Lacon get tornadoes?

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lacon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on June 11, 2026. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lacon's Census boundary (GEOID 1740559). 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.