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Living in
Ottawa.
About
Life in Ottawa
Living in Ottawa means settling into a modest-sized community of under 19,000 people where housing costs stay genuinely affordable—median home values hover around $154,000 and rent averages $922 a month—making it accessible for families and first-time buyers who'd struggle in bigger metros. Weekends here revolve around the outdoors—you're sitting right at the confluence of two navigable rivers, which means boating, fishing, and riverfront access are genuinely part of local life, and you're within reasonable driving distance of Pullman National Historical Park and the Indiana Dunes if you want bigger-scale recreation. The community skews older (median age 41.6) and more stable, which creates a quieter, family-oriented atmosphere, though you'll notice the population has actually been shrinking slightly, a sign that younger people often leave for bigger job markets.
Ottawa at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
39.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
17.3%
Foreign-Born
3.1%
Broadband Internet
84.3%
of households
Population Growth
-0.7%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics3.1% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Ottawa: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Ottawa, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (53.5%), and 4.1% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.3%
of residents
65 and Older
16.4%
of residents
Households with Kids
33.0%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
33.1%
of households
Married Couples
39.4%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.39
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 28% below IL average
Rent, home values, and income in Ottawa
In Ottawa, rent runs 28% below the IL average, and home values are 42% below the IL average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
47.6%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
26.2%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$4,011
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
69.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1958
median year built
Vacant Homes
8.1%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $216,491 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts above IL average
Unemployment in Ottawa
Unemployment in LaSalle County, which includes Ottawa, is 0.8 percentage points higher than the IL average.
Unemployment rate
Ottawa: LaSalle County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
LaSalle County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Ottawa Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute22.7 min avg
How Ottawa residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Ottawa, most residents drive alone to work (82%), and 75% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 60 mi
Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI)
Regional airport · few flights159k passengers boarded in 2025
- 64 mi
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Medium hub9.4M passengers boarded in 2025
- 65 mi
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Major hub40.7M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 26% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Ottawa runs 26% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
245.2
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,236.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Ottawa Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 25 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
86.1 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
LaSalle County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In LaSalle County, which includes Ottawa, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 25 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2024 | 21 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2023 | 20 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2022 | 20 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2021 | 15 | Winter Weather | $1.2M |
| 2020 | 15 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 18 | Winter Weather | $20,000 |
| 2018 | 11 | Winter Storm | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
LaSalle County, county-wide
Air Quality44 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Will County, IL (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 44 miles from Ottawa) is typically good — 225 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
44
Good Days
225
per year
Moderate Days
135
per year
Unhealthy Days
1
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Will County, IL (44 mi away)
Climate83°F summers, 17°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Ottawa has warm summers (avg high 83°F) and very cold winters (avg low 17°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
60°/38°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
83°/60°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
63°/41°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
34°/17°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
40.1"
Annual Snowfall
25.0"
Hot Days/Year
14
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
139
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
135
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 14°F | 1.95" |
| Feb | 35°F | 17°F | 1.90" |
| Mar | 48°F | 27°F | 2.54" |
| Apr | 61°F | 37°F | 3.59" |
| May | 73°F | 49°F | 4.70" |
| Jun | 81°F | 58°F | 4.92" |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 3.85" |
| Aug | 82°F | 61°F | 4.09" |
| Sep | 77°F | 53°F | 3.46" |
| Oct | 64°F | 41°F | 3.20" |
| Nov | 49°F | 30°F | 2.72" |
| Dec | 37°F | 21°F | 2.11" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Ottawa
Uninsured
5.0%
of residents
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Education13.2:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Ottawa
Ottawa's student/teacher ratio is 13.2:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
9
within city limits
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
23.3%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
13.2:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Pullman National Historical Park, 67 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Ottawa
Ottawa has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Pullman National Historical Park (67 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Pullman National Historical Park
National Historical Park
67 mi awayIndiana Dunes National Park
National Park
92 mi awayPublic Libraries in Ottawa
Reddick Public Library District
1010 Canal Street, Ottawa
Cities Near Ottawa
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Ottawa?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Ottawa FAQ
Is Ottawa, Illinois affordable?⌄
Ottawa's median rent is $920/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $71,413/year. Median home value is $154,000.
Is Ottawa, Illinois safe?⌄
Ottawa's violent crime rate was 245 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1236 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Ottawa, Illinois?⌄
LaSalle County, which includes Ottawa, has an unemployment rate of 5.4%, which is slightly above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Ottawa, Illinois?⌄
The cost of living in Ottawa is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $920/month and median household income is $71,413/year. The median home value is $154,000. About 48% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Ottawa, Illinois?⌄
The average commute in Ottawa is 23 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from