Is New Athens, IL a Good Place to Live?
New Athens is a small town of 1,951 in Illinois, with a median household income of $62,639 and a 5.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: New Athens stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether New Athens is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All New Athens city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 96.3New Athens's overall cost of living index is 96.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in New Athens costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | New Athens, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $116,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $910 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 83.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $62,639 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeNew Athens's violent crime rate is 54.1 per 100,000 residents — 86% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
New Athens is served primarily by New Athens CUSD 60. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | New Athens, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | New Athens CUSD 60 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
New Athens sees average highs of 42.9°F in January and 90.2°F in July, with 45.0 inches of annual precipitation and 11.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | New Athens, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 42.9°F |
| Average High — July | 90.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 11.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | New Athens, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,951 | — |
| Median Age | 41.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 33.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 21.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in New Athens
New Athens, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: