City safety & data profile

PontiacIL

Pontiac, IL is a 12K-resident city in Livingston County with a median household income of $61,279.

Livingston County, Illinois. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Pontiac, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Pontiac has a population larger than 12% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $116,300, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

12K
Population
Top 88%
By size
$61,279
Median income
$116,300
Median home
13.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Pontiac

Pontiac posts a median household income higher than 24% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Pontiac area.

Top 76%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Pontiac

Where Pontiac income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$61,279 Bottom 24% higher than 24% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IL $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Pontiac, IL beyond the headline numbers

Pontiac sits inside Livingston County, Illinois, at roughly 40.88°N, -88.63°W. Population 11,794, $61,279 median household income. Median home value $116,300, median rent $842. Poverty rate 13.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Pontiac's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 37.4%, then short sleep duration at 37.3%. 1 hospital in/around Pontiac, 4/5 avg rating, 0 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Pontiac from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
11,794
Pontiac
Median Income
$61,279
-10% vs avg
Median Home Value
$116,300
-49% vs avg
Median Age
42.8
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Livingston County) - Pontiac's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
36K-8%
Median Income
$73,790+35%
Median Home Value
$142,200+29%
Poverty Rate
10.5%+2%
Unemployment
3.5%-55%

Economics

Economics indicators for Pontiac, IL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$842/mo
Poverty Rate
13.1% -8% vs avg
Unemployment 4.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 16.2%
Work From Home 5.5%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 82.8%
African American 9.3%
Asian 1.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
37.4%
Short Sleep Duration
37.3%
High Blood Pressure
37.2%
Physical Inactivity
26.9%
Binge Drinking
18.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.6%
Current Smoking
16.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.7%
Diabetes
12.6%
Current Asthma
10.5%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 57.8%
Annual Checkup 77.2%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
10.5%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.2%
Stroke
3.9%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
0
SAINT JAMES HOSPITAL
PONTIAC · Acute Care Hospitals
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Pontiac, IL? ▼
Pontiac, IL has a population of 11,794 people, located in Livingston County, Illinois.
What is the median household income in Pontiac? ▼
The median household income in Pontiac, IL is $61,279 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 13.1%.
What is the median home value in Pontiac? ▼
The median home value in Pontiac, IL is $116,300. Median rent is $842/month.
What are the top health concerns in Pontiac? ▼
The top health indicators in Pontiac include Obesity (37.4%), Short Sleep Duration (37.3%), High Blood Pressure (37.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Pontiac? ▼
Pontiac has 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Pontiac? ▼
The median age in Pontiac, IL is 42.8 years. 16.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Pontiac, IL is located in Livingston County, Illinois. With a population of 12K and a $61,279 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Pontiac area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Illinois

Real-time AQI for every monitored Illinois location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Streator, IL 13K Ottawa, IL 18K Normal, IL 54K Morris, IL 14K Bloomington, IL 78K Channahon, IL 13K Minooka, IL 11K Rantoul, IL 13K
All cities in Illinois → Compare Pontiac vs Streator → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Pontiac's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Pontiac area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Pontiac against Illinois peers on any ranking lens. Explore Illinois

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Livingston County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.