Is Winchester, IL a Good Place to Live?
Winchester is a small town of 1,541 in Illinois, with a median household income of $51,667 and a 4.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Winchester stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B).
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Winchester is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Winchester 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: 88.5Winchester's overall cost of living index is 88.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Winchester costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Winchester, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $94,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $575 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 67.8% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $51,667 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Winchester is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Winchester is served primarily by Winchester CUSD 1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Winchester, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Winchester CUSD 1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 21.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Winchester sees average highs of 35.7°F in January and 86.8°F in July, with 40.4 inches of annual precipitation and 18.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Winchester, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 35.7°F |
| Average High — July | 86.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 18.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Winchester, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,541 | — |
| Median Age | 39.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Winchester
Winchester, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: