Sidney is a small town of 980 in Illinois, with a median household income of $82,868
and a 5.9% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 91 (US average = 100), which is
9% below the national average.
Strengths:
Sidney stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices.
Trade-offs:
Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Sidney is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Sidney 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: 90.8
Sidney's overall cost of living index is 90.8,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Sidney costs roughly 9% less than the average American city.
Metric
Sidney, IL
National Avg
Median Home Value
$173,000
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$1,131
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
82.8%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$82,868
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Safer than Average
Sidney's violent crime rate is 355.8 per 100,000 residents
— 6% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
355.8 /100k
Property Crime
1544.2 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
Sidney, IL
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.4%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
94.8%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Sidney sees average highs of 34.0°F in January
and 83.6°F in July,
with 41.3 inches of annual precipitation
and 20.6 inches of snow per year.
Sidney's cost of living index is 91, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Sidney roughly 9% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $173,000 and median rent is $1,131/month.
Sidney's violent crime rate is 355.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1544.2 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Sidney, IL has a population of 980, a median household income of $82,868, and an unemployment rate of 5.9%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Sidney averages 34.0°F in January and 83.6°F in July. Annual rainfall is 41.3 inches
with about 20.6 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Sidney, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: 61877.
The population of Sidney, Illinois is 980 with a median age of 37.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Sidney: cost of living index 91 (100 = US average), median home $173,000, median household income $82,868, crime index 86 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Sidney side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
