Wapella, Illinois

Village in De Witt County · population 513 (2020 Census)

Median home: $98,500
Household income: $51,818
Jan low / Jul high: 16° / 84°
Snow a year: 16 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 23
Median age: 37.8

Wapella is a village of 513 people in De Witt County, Illinois. The median home is worth $98,500, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks easier by car than 93% of Illinois towns, quieter than 78% of Illinois towns.

How Wapella 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 Wapella is worth $98,500, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $51,818, which is more affordable than 68% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $925 a month. 89.7% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Wapella	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$98,500	$156,600
Median rent	$925	$960
Median household income	$51,818	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	1.9×	2.2×
Homeownership	89.7%	76.6%
Median year built	1968	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Wapella

People	Wapella	Typical Illinois town
Median age	37.8	40.4
Age 65 and over	20.6%	18.7%
Under 18	22.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.5%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	3.8%	9.9%
Veterans	13.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.2%	—
Work from home	10.5%	8.9%
Average commute	22.2 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	88.4%	90.4%

Weather in Wapella

July highs average 84.2°F and January lows 15.6°F. About 40.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 16.0 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 132 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 Bloomington 5W station (19.4 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wapella since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 9, 1995 about 8.4 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 5 deaths and 71 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 29, 2023.

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 29 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 28, 2003.

Severe weather in De Witt County since 1996

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

De Witt County has been included in 11 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
February 9, 2007	Severe Ice Storm	DR-1681: Severe Winter Storm
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3230: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in De Witt County

De Witt County had 5,008 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $67,169 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Wapella itself the ACS puts it at 1.7%.

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 Wapella

Clinton, IL
5.2 mi · 7,004 people · home $102,800
Heyworth, IL
6.6 mi · 2,791 people · home $210,600
McLean, IL
12.6 mi · 743 people · home $140,400
Maroa, IL
12.8 mi · 1,577 people · home $126,800
Downs, IL
12.8 mi · 1,201 people · home $240,600
Le Roy, IL
13.3 mi · 3,512 people · home $167,600
Atlanta, IL
14.5 mi · 1,669 people · home $134,400
Farmer City, IL
17.0 mi · 1,828 people · home $138,500

Wapella questions

Is Wapella, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wapella scores better for retirees than 47% of Illinois towns and quieter than 78%. 20.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.8).

How much does a house cost in Wapella?

The median owner-occupied home in Wapella is valued at $98,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,818, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $925 a month.

What is the weather like in Wapella?

July highs average 84.2°F and January lows 15.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.4 inches of precipitation a year and 16.0 inches of snow.

Does Wapella get tornadoes?

23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wapella since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 9, 1995. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Wapella's Census boundary (GEOID 1778773). 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.