Newman, Illinois

City in Douglas County · population 778 (2020 Census)

Median home: $101,900
Household income: $75,373
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 84°
Snow a year: 18 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 25
Median age: 56.0

Newman is a city of 778 people in Douglas County, Illinois. The median home is worth $101,900, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks quieter than 99% of Illinois towns, better for first-time buyers than 90% of Illinois towns, better for retirees than 86% of Illinois towns.

Newman in our rankings:

How Newman 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 Newman is worth $101,900, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $75,373, which is more affordable than 93% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $775 a month. 88.8% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Newman	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$101,900	$156,600
Median rent	$775	$960
Median household income	$75,373	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	1.4×	2.2×
Homeownership	88.8%	76.6%
Median year built	1958	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	2.0%	—

Who lives in Newman

People	Newman	Typical Illinois town
Median age	56.0	40.4
Age 65 and over	35.1%	18.7%
Under 18	13.4%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.7%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	11.0%	9.9%
Veterans	14.7%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.9%	—
Work from home	2.0%	8.9%
Average commute	38.1 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	91.9%	90.4%

Weather in Newman

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 17.2°F. About 40.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.1 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 23 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 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 Sidell 4N station (14.7 mi away); snow from Newman 3W (2.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newman since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 22, 1963 about 0.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 20, 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 22 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 1, 2016.

Severe weather in Douglas County since 1996

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

Douglas County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
August 15, 2023	Severe Storm	DR-4728: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 26, 2020	Biological	DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3435: Covid-19
November 26, 2013	Tornado	DR-4157: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes
May 10, 2013	Flood	DR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Douglas County

Douglas County had 7,643 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,270 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Newman itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.

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 Newman

Oakland, IL
9.8 mi · 739 people · home $98,100
Villa Grove, IL
10.2 mi · 2,472 people · home $125,700
Tuscola, IL
15.3 mi · 4,636 people · home $154,300
Homer, IL
16.4 mi · 1,073 people · home $146,200
Sidney, IL
16.4 mi · 1,208 people · home $197,600
Chrisman, IL
16.6 mi · 1,312 people · home $79,400
Philo, IL
16.8 mi · 1,392 people · home $205,400
Kansas, IL
16.9 mi · 670 people · home $70,800

Newman questions

Is Newman, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Newman scores better for retirees than 86% of Illinois towns and quieter than 99%. 35.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.0).

How much does a house cost in Newman?

The median owner-occupied home in Newman is valued at $101,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,373, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $775 a month.

What is the weather like in Newman?

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 17.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.4 inches of precipitation a year and 18.1 inches of snow.

Does Newman get tornadoes?

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newman since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 22, 1963. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Newman's Census boundary (GEOID 1752623). 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.