Kewanee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Centralia
Kewanee
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 3%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Growth
10 · Bottom 2%
vs16 · Bottom 5%
Climate
67 · Bottom 39%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
54 · Bottom 46%
vs67 · Top 40%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 14%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
43 · Bottom 39%
vs39 · Bottom 34%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Centralia | Kewanee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,856 | 11,913 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $47,807 | $50,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,963 | $29,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,446/sq mi | 1,806/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $89,600 | $73,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $765 | $797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.5% | 69.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.2% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 16.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.3% | 17.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.7" | 39.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 33 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 46.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.32 | 14.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 14.5% | 12.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 22.7% | 28.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.4% | 64.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Centralia
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, strong wind.
Kewanee
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail.
Full profiles: Centralia, IL · Kewanee, IL · How this is calculated: methodology