The Town Files

Valier, Illinois

Village in Franklin County · population 554 (2020 Census)

Map: where Valier is in IllinoisValier
Median home
$80,100
Household income
$27,305
Jan low / Jul high
22° / 88°
Snow a year
12 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
26
Median age
41.2

Valier is a village of 554 people in Franklin County, Illinois. The median home is worth $80,100, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 92% of Illinois towns, quieter than 91% of Illinois towns, easier by car than 84% of Illinois towns.

How Valier 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.

Valier lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement65th pctFamilies46th pctQuiet91st pctWalkability43rd pctFirst-time buyers92nd pctYoung professionals11th pctVibrancy20th pctHip & trendy39th pctCollege town33rd pctUpscale33rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving84th 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 Valier is worth $80,100, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $27,305, which is more affordable than 24% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,144 a month. 80.4% of households own their home.

Valier vs Franklin County vs typical Illinois townValierFranklin CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$80,100$89,000$156,600Household income$27,305$56,740$72,500Monthly rent$1,144$803$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingValierTypical Illinois town
Median home value$80,100$156,600
Median rent$1,144$960
Median household income$27,305$72,500
Home value ÷ income2.9×2.2×
Homeownership80.4%76.6%
Median year built19471967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Valier

PeopleValierTypical Illinois town
Median age41.240.4
Age 65 and over22.0%18.7%
Under 1821.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher7.0%21.8%
Below the poverty line33.7%9.9%
Veterans7.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home1.6%8.9%
Average commute32.3 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband78.5%90.4%

Weather in Valier

July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 21.9°F. About 46.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 11.9 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 35 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 100 nights at or below freezing.

Valier monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing40°22°Jan44°25°Feb55°35°Mar68°45°Apr76°56°May86°65°Jun88°68°Jul87°66°Aug81°58°Sep69°46°Oct55°35°Nov44°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.23.82.83.24.20.75.40.15.14.54.03.43.23.40.24.00.32.93.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Rend Lake Dam station (3.4 mi away); snow from Du Quoin 4 Se (8.4 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Valier since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on December 18, 1957 about 8.1 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 29 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 14, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Valier by decade41950s21960s01970s01980s21990s52000s102010s32020s
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 45 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on February 28, 2017.

Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996

Storm events in Franklin County since 1996 by typeHail100Heat62Flood86Drought31Dense Fog102Flash Flood39Strong Wind67Frost/Freeze56
NOAA Storm Events Database, Franklin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Franklin County has been included in 10 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
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 Franklin County

Franklin County had 9,079 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,819 a year. Unemployment was 5.5% in 2023; in Valier itself the ACS puts it at 7.3%.

Largest industries in Franklin CountyHealth care & social assistan…1,376 jobs · $50,060Retail1,175 jobs · $33,396Hotels & restaurants1,071 jobs · $18,941Manufacturing542 jobs · $60,249Construction502 jobs · $56,808Finance & insurance494 jobs · $53,869
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Franklin County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Franklin 5.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Valier

Valier questions

Is Valier, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Valier scores better for retirees than 65% of Illinois towns and quieter than 91%. 22.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.2).

How much does a house cost in Valier?

The median owner-occupied home in Valier is valued at $80,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $27,305, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $1,144 a month.

What is the weather like in Valier?

July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 21.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.0 inches of precipitation a year and 11.9 inches of snow.

Does Valier get tornadoes?

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Valier since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on December 18, 1957. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Valier's Census boundary (GEOID 1777148). 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.