Mark, Illinois

Village in Putnam County · population 519 (2020 Census)

Median home: $161,600
Household income: $79,063
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 85°
Snow a year: 26 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 20
Median age: 45.0

Mark is a village of 519 people in Putnam County, Illinois. The median home is worth $161,600, close to the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for retirees than 89% of Illinois towns, easier by car than 86% of Illinois towns, quieter than 80% of Illinois towns.

How Mark 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 Mark is worth $161,600, close to the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $79,063, which is more affordable than 61% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $938 a month. 74.4% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Mark	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$161,600	$156,600
Median rent	$938	$960
Median household income	$79,063	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	2.0×	2.2×
Homeownership	74.4%	76.6%
Median year built	1969	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Mark

People	Mark	Typical Illinois town
Median age	45.0	40.4
Age 65 and over	22.8%	18.7%
Under 18	25.8%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.1%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	10.5%	9.9%
Veterans	7.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.7%	—
Work from home	8.1%	8.9%
Average commute	19.8 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	89.6%	90.4%

Weather in Mark

July highs average 84.5°F and January lows 16.8°F. About 38.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 26.2 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 17 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 119 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 Hennepin station (4.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mark since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 20, 2004 about 4.5 miles from the town center and killed 8. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 9 deaths and 14 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on February 8, 2024.

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 65 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on September 22, 2005.

Severe weather in Putnam County since 1996

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

Putnam County has been included in 11 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 Putnam County

Putnam County had 2,012 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,607 a year. Unemployment was 5.6% in 2023; in Mark itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.

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 Mark

Granville, IL
1.3 mi · 1,359 people · home $142,500
Hennepin, IL
3.2 mi · 769 people · home $168,300
De Pue, IL
5.3 mi · 1,633 people · home $59,300
Spring Valley, IL
5.6 mi · 5,582 people · home $153,300
Dalzell, IL
7.8 mi · 663 people · home $161,700
Ladd, IL
8.5 mi · 1,263 people · home $129,600
Peru, IL
8.9 mi · 9,896 people · home $154,300
LaSalle, IL
9.6 mi · 9,582 people · home $113,500

Mark questions

Is Mark, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mark scores better for retirees than 89% of Illinois towns and quieter than 80%. 22.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.0).

How much does a house cost in Mark?

The median owner-occupied home in Mark is valued at $161,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,063, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $938 a month.

What is the weather like in Mark?

July highs average 84.5°F and January lows 16.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.6 inches of precipitation a year and 26.2 inches of snow.

Does Mark get tornadoes?

20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mark since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 20, 2004. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Mark's Census boundary (GEOID 1746981). 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.