The Town FilesWilmington, Illinois
City in Will County · population 5,664 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $223,800
- Household income
- $66,154
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 18 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 30
- Median age
- 40.3
Wilmington is a city of 5,664 people in Will County, Illinois. The median home is worth $223,800, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 83% of Illinois towns, better for retirees than 78% of Illinois towns, hipper than 74% of Illinois towns.
How Wilmington 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Wilmington is worth $223,800, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $66,154, which is more affordable than 13% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $888 a month. 64.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Wilmington | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $223,800 | $156,600 |
| Median rent | $888 | $960 |
| Median household income | $66,154 | $72,500 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.4× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 64.4% | 76.6% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1967 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Wilmington
| People | Wilmington | Typical Illinois town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.3 | 40.4 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.0% | 18.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 21.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.5% | 9.9% |
| Veterans | 5.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.9% | — |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 8.9% |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.5% | 90.4% |
Weather in Wilmington
July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 37.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.4 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 127 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wilmington since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on June 22, 2015 about 5.9 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 19 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 15, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 27, 2026.
Severe weather in Will County since 1996
Will County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 20, 2024 | Flood | DR-4819: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng |
| 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 Will County
Will County had 263,673 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,570 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Wilmington itself the ACS puts it at 4.7%.
Public schools in Wilmington
7 public schools with 1,298 students, about 13.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington High School | 9-12 | 432 | 14.4 |
| L J Stevens Intermediate School | 2-5 | 363 | 15.8 |
| Wilmington Middle School | 6-8 | 272 | 13.6 |
| Bruning Elem School | PK-1 | 231 | 16.5 |
| SOWIC Education Center | Other | — | — |
| SOWIC-EC Wilmington | Other | — | — |
| SOWIC-Educ & Life Skills-Wilmingt | Other | — | — |
Towns near Wilmington
- Braidwood, IL4.7 mi · 6,194 people · home $202,500
- Diamond, IL5.3 mi · 2,640 people · home $220,200
- Coal City, IL6.8 mi · 5,705 people · home $201,600
- Channahon, IL8.9 mi · 13,383 people · home $327,900
- Minooka, IL10.9 mi · 12,758 people · home $315,600
- Manhattan, IL11.6 mi · 9,385 people · home $332,600
- Preston Heights, IL12.8 mi · 2,898 people · home $144,100
- Joliet, IL13.7 mi · 150,362 people · home $265,800
Wilmington questions
Is Wilmington, Illinois a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wilmington scores better for retirees than 78% of Illinois towns and quieter than 51%. 21.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.3).
How much does a house cost in Wilmington?
The median owner-occupied home in Wilmington is valued at $223,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,154, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $888 a month.
What is the weather like in Wilmington?
July highs average 84.9°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.2 inches of precipitation a year and 18.4 inches of snow.
Does Wilmington get tornadoes?
30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wilmington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on June 22, 2015. The typical Illinois town has had 27.
- 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)