The Town Files

Pittsburg, Illinois

Village in Williamson County · population 565 (2020 Census)

Map: where Pittsburg is in IllinoisPittsburg
Median home
$129,200
Household income
$53,203
Jan low / Jul high
23° / 88°
Snow a year
11 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
17
Median age
44.3

Pittsburg is a village of 565 people in Williamson County, Illinois. The median home is worth $129,200, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks easier by car than 87% of Illinois towns, quieter than 84% of Illinois towns.

How Pittsburg 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.

Pittsburg lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement19th pctFamilies52nd pctQuiet84th pctWalkability5th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals14th pctVibrancy7th pctHip & trendy5th pctCollege town2nd pctUpscale28th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving87th 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 Pittsburg is worth $129,200, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $53,203, which is more affordable than 42% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,026 a month. 74.7% of households own their home.

Pittsburg vs Williamson County vs typical Illinois townPittsburgWilliamson CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$129,200$156,400$156,600Household income$53,203$65,604$72,500Monthly rent$1,026$930$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingPittsburgTypical Illinois town
Median home value$129,200$156,600
Median rent$1,026$960
Median household income$53,203$72,500
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.2×
Homeownership74.7%76.6%
Median year built19631967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Pittsburg

PeoplePittsburgTypical Illinois town
Median age44.340.4
Age 65 and over21.6%18.7%
Under 1810.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.8%21.8%
Below the poverty line17.9%9.9%
Veterans10.5%—
Born outside the U.S.3.7%—
Work from home7.7%8.9%
Average commute28.5 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband95.7%90.4%

Weather in Pittsburg

July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 23.4°F. About 49.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 10.5 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 38 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 103 nights at or below freezing.

Pittsburg monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing41°23°Jan46°26°Feb56°35°Mar68°44°Apr77°55°May85°64°Jun88°68°Jul87°65°Aug81°56°Sep70°44°Oct56°35°Nov45°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.42.83.13.24.51.35.50.15.24.64.13.23.43.70.34.50.13.72.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Carbondale Sewage Plt station (17.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pittsburg since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF4, struck on May 16, 2025 about 8.1 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 10 deaths and 204 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 16, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Pittsburg by decade01950s11960s11970s11980s21990s22000s82010s22020s
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 49 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on February 28, 2017.

Severe weather in Williamson County since 1996

Storm events in Williamson County since 1996 by typeHail113Heat62Flood28Drought29Dense Fog107Flash Flood40Strong Wind79Frost/Freeze55
NOAA Storm Events Database, Williamson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Williamson County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for tornado, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3435: Covid-19
June 7, 2011Severe StormDR-1991: Severe Storms And Flooding
July 2, 2009Severe StormDR-1850: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3230: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Williamson County

Williamson County had 28,465 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,081 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Pittsburg itself the ACS puts it at 17.2%.

Largest industries in Williamson CountyHealth care & social assistan…5,537 jobs · $58,247Manufacturing3,487 jobs · $58,515Retail3,235 jobs · $38,013Hotels & restaurants3,223 jobs · $25,768Finance & insurance1,509 jobs · $61,415Administrative & support1,230 jobs · $38,648
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Williamson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Williamson 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Pittsburg

1 public school with 140 students, about 12.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Lincoln Elem School3-414012.7

Towns near Pittsburg

Pittsburg questions

Is Pittsburg, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pittsburg scores better for retirees than 19% of Illinois towns and quieter than 84%. 21.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.3).

How much does a house cost in Pittsburg?

The median owner-occupied home in Pittsburg is valued at $129,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,203, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,026 a month.

What is the weather like in Pittsburg?

July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 23.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.0 inches of precipitation a year and 10.5 inches of snow.

Does Pittsburg get tornadoes?

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pittsburg since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF4 on May 16, 2025. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Pittsburg's Census boundary (GEOID 1760209). 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 2026-11-13.