Mount Zion, Illinois

For the township in Macon County, see Mount Zion Township, Macon County, Illinois.

Mount Zion, Illinois
Village
Welcome sign
Location in Macon County, Illinois
Mount Zion Location in the United States
Coordinates: 39°46′41″N88°52′43″W / 39.77806°N 88.87861°W / 39.77806; -88.87861
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Macon
Townships	Mount Zion, Long Creek
Founded	1881
Government
• Type	Trustee-Mayor
• Mayor	Luke Williams [1]
Area [2]
• Total	4.28 sq mi (11.1 km2)
• Land	4.28 sq mi (11.1 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	690 ft (210 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	6,019
• Density	1,414.57/sq mi (546.22/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	62549
Area code	217
FIPS code	17-51206
Website	www.mtzion.com

Mount Zion is a village in Macon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,019 at the 2020 census. ^[3]

Geography

Mount Zion is located in southeastern Macon County at 39°46′41″N88°52′43″W / 39.77806°N 88.87861°W / 39.77806; -88.87861 (39.777967, -88.878614). ^[4] It is bordered to the northwest by the city of Decatur, the county seat, and to the north by the village of Long Creek. Illinois Route 121 passes through the village, leading northwest 8 miles (13 km) to the center of Decatur and southeast 19 miles (31 km) to Sullivan.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village of Mount Zion has a total area of 4.28 square miles (11.1 km²), of which 0.003 square miles (1.9 acres), or 0.07%, are water. ^[2] The village is drained to the north by Finley Creek and Big Creek, part of the Sangamon River watershed.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	243		—
1900	370		—
1910	330		−10.8%
1920	330		0.0%
1930	405		22.7%
1940	384		−5.2%
1950	438		14.1%
1960	925		111.2%
1970	2,343		153.3%
1980	4,563		94.8%
1990	4,522		−0.9%
2000	4,845		7.1%
2010	5,833		20.4%
2020	6,019		3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

As of the2022 ^[update] American Community Survey estimates, there were 6,255 people and 2,198 households. ^{[6] [7]} The population density was 1,465.9 inhabitants per square mile (566.0/km²). There were 2,335 housing units at an average density of 547.2 per square mile (211.3/km²). ^{[8] [7] [9]} The racial makeup of the city was 93.4% White, 2.6% Black or African American, 2.4% Asian, and 0.6% some other race, with 1.0% from two or more races. ^[7] Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.0% of the population. ^[7]

Of the 2,198 households, 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.8% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 70.2% were married couples living together, 2.2% were couples cohabitating, 8.3% had a male householder with no partner present, and 19.2% had a female householder with no partner present. ^[6] The median household size was 2.81 and the median family size was 3.22. ^[6]

The age distribution was 30.5% under 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.8 years. ^[10] For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. ^[7]

The median income for a household was $99,798, with family households having a median income of $114,938 and non-family households $51,875. The per capita income was $39,546. ^{[11] [12]} Males working full-time jobs had median earnings of $74,737 compared to $56,071 for females. ^[13] Out of the 6,183 people with a determined poverty status, 10.5% were below the poverty line. Further, 21.8% of minors and 1.4% of seniors were below the poverty line. ^[14]

In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 23.1% of the population of the town, followed by Irish at 12.6%, English at 11.9%, American at 7.3%, French at 3.7%, Italian at 2.7%, Norwegian at 1.9%, Hungarian at 1.5%, Danish at 1.3%, Slovak at 1.3%, Scotch-Irish at 1.1%, Polish at 0.9%, Dutch at 0.9%, Swedish at 0.6%, and Scottish at 0.5%. ^[6]

Education

Mount Zion High School is part of the Mount Zion Unified School District 3, and was founded in 1920. As of 2021, the high school ranks 191st out of Illinois high schools. ^[15]

Mount Zion is also home to Mount Zion Grade School, Mount Zion Intermediate School, Mount Zion Jr. High School, and McGaughey Elementary School. ^[16]

Parks

Spitler Woods State Natural Area borders the village to the east. Fort Daniel Conservation Area is a mile further to the east. Fletcher Park, a recreation area, borders the village to the south.

Notable Famous Citizens

Drew Blickensderfer Nascar Crew Chief, grew up in Mt. Zion. Robert Flider a former Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives. Justin Denton a renowned technology professional known for his work on the IBM ThinkVantage toolset in the early 2000s. Ted Phelps famed Mt. Zion High School football coach. Paul Stoner Smith a Major League Baseball outfielder with Cincinnati Reds.

References

1. Village of Mt. Zion. "Mayor and Trustees" . Retrieved June 26, 2019.
2. "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
3. "P1. Race – Mount Zion village, Illinois: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
5. "Decennial Census Official Publications". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
6. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Selected Social Characteristics in the United States for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
7. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Demographic and Housing Estimates for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
8. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Housing Units for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
9. To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in "The 2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files".
10. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Age and Sex for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
11. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
12. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
13. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
14. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months for Mount Zion village, IL". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-06-21.
15. "Overview of Mt Zion High School". usnews.com. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
16. Village of Mt. Zion. "Schools" . Retrieved June 26, 2019.