Jobs, pay and daily life in Pekin, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Pekin is a city in Illinois with 31,781 residents. The median household earns $60,790 a year and the median rent is $819 a month, which is 16.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Peoria, IL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 166,020 jobs.
How Pekin compares. Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, Pekin is #61 by population, #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #93 for remote work (#1 = most), #92 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Tazewell County, is #31 of 102 counties for average pay ($56,089).
Pekin has 31,781 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Illinois. It covers 16 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,022 people per square mile. The median age is 41.9, 7% older than the state median (41.9 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $819 a month (rent plus utilities), 36% below the state median ($819 against $1,274). Over a year that is 16.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $120,700, which is 2.0 times the median household income ($60,790); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 68.4% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (68.4% against 67.1%).
The Peoria, IL metropolitan area has 166,020 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,590 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,590 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (17,310 jobs, median $45,110); food preparation and serving related (13,580 jobs, median $31,410); management (13,340 jobs, median $121,140). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.9 times) and production (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($121,140) and architecture and engineering ($111,910). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Tazewell County was 3.6%. 59.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Tazewell County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 81.2% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 1.2% walk, 7.3% work from home. 7.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 61% below the state average (7.6% against 19.7%).
17.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53% below the state share (17.9% against 37.9%). 1.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 89% below the state share (1.6% against 14.8%). The poverty rate is 12.8%, 9% above the state rate (12.8% against 11.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 25°F (-4.0°C). About 984 mm (39 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (114 mm) and Feb the driest (51 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Peoria (13 miles, rent 23% higher); Normal (33 miles, rent 18% higher); Bloomington (35 miles, rent 28% higher); Galesburg (47 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Pekin; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Illinois (1,066) →State guide: IllinoisCountry guideTazewell CountyIllinois rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,066 federal postings open in Illinois (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Illinois →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 5,460 | 1.51 | $81,010 | $68,980 | $100,330 | -17% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,140 | 1.11 | $98,290 | $49,140 | $210,590 | -7% |
| Cashiers | 4,020 | 1.22 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,620 | -5% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,710 | 0.89 | $33,870 | $31,200 | $46,780 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,620 | 1.53 | $35,870 | $31,340 | $46,260 | -3% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,260 | 0.79 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,600 | +0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,750 | 0.87 | $37,420 | $31,740 | $49,760 | -7% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,740 | 1.77 | $43,040 | $37,110 | $48,960 | +2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,590 | 0.56 | $36,330 | $33,790 | $39,660 | +1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,420 | 0.92 | $41,600 | $31,200 | $61,690 | -8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,340 | 0.97 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $46,310 | -11% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,330 | 0.77 | $34,600 | $31,200 | $44,890 | -7% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 2,300 | 1.53 | $49,410 | $35,000 | $77,940 | +11% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,260 | 0.81 | $39,840 | $31,350 | $64,260 | -11% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 2,120 | 6.70 | $128,710 | $99,880 | $166,620 | +24% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,010 | 1.10 | $46,550 | $33,370 | $65,000 | -2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,980 | 1.31 | $35,970 | $31,200 | $45,110 | -2% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,760 | 0.80 | $49,610 | $39,610 | $77,520 | -15% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,680 | 1.03 | $50,820 | $34,320 | $77,700 | +2% |
| Software Developers | 1,650 | 0.92 | $130,590 | $89,350 | $166,680 | -4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 580 | 1.58 | $224,690 | $65,750 | $446,190 | -16% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 540 | 2.28 | $212,820 | $126,620 | $267,690 | +24% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 880 | 1.23 | $173,870 | $102,840 | $265,320 | -1% |
| Lawyers | 560 | 0.69 | $161,150 | $79,260 | $293,940 | +1% |
| Financial Managers | 1,170 | 1.30 | $155,840 | $89,990 | $292,460 | -6% |
| Managers, All Other | 640 | 0.96 | $132,900 | $77,740 | $217,120 | -6% |
| Sales Managers | 600 | 0.89 | $131,660 | $68,350 | $264,180 | -11% |
| Software Developers | 1,650 | 0.92 | $130,590 | $89,350 | $166,680 | -4% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 2,120 | 6.70 | $128,710 | $99,880 | $166,620 | +24% |
| Project Management Specialists | 730 | 0.64 | $123,730 | $67,570 | $171,040 | +21% |
| Industrial Engineers | 1,500 | 3.85 | $117,180 | $78,080 | $166,660 | +14% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 700 | 1.10 | $110,510 | $76,380 | $199,540 | -11% |
| Construction Managers | 640 | 1.58 | $105,900 | $65,090 | $159,390 | -8% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 770 | 1.38 | $103,440 | $75,300 | $140,710 | -2% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 720 | 0.83 | $98,680 | $63,460 | $121,390 | +23% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,140 | 1.11 | $98,290 | $49,140 | $210,590 | -7% |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | 720 | 1.38 | $96,880 | $50,810 | $164,100 | +25% |
| Management Analysts | 670 | 0.70 | $96,530 | $48,410 | $170,110 | -5% |
| Logisticians | 570 | 2.13 | $85,930 | $44,830 | $155,820 | +4% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 560 | 1.12 | $85,090 | $47,790 | $117,300 | +33% |
These figures are for the whole Peoria, IL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,590 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.2% |
| Manufacturing | 15.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.1% |
| Retail trade | 11.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.4% |
| Construction | 7.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.3% |
| Public administration | 3.6% |
| Other services | 2.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.3% |
| Information | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Pekin lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Peoria County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tazewell County | 130,290 | $7,835 million | $60,138 | 46,883 | 2,560 | $56,089 | +0.9% | 3.6% | 63,830 |
| Peoria County | 179,645 | $16,966 million | $94,443 | 103,940 | 3,972 | $74,778 | +0.4% | 4.2% | 84,412 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 6,691 | 17.6% | $37,877 | 1.43 |
| Manufacturing | 6,282 | 16.6% | $77,331 | 1.63 |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,473 | 14.4% | $23,539 | 1.28 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,339 | 11.4% | $43,725 | 0.65 |
| Construction | 3,101 | 8.2% | $75,240 | 1.26 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,830 | 7.5% | $81,959 | 1.43 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,207 | 5.8% | $73,534 | 1.19 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,814 | 4.8% | $69,230 | 0.56 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,591 | 4.2% | $76,903 | 0.84 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,534 | 4.0% | $47,597 | 1.09 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 978 | 2.6% | $26,055 | 1.24 |
| Information | 356 | 0.9% | $52,617 | 0.41 |
| Real estate and rental | 331 | 0.9% | $55,237 | 0.45 |
| Educational services | 243 | 0.6% | $29,743 | 0.25 |
| Utilities | 165 | 0.4% | $141,856 | 0.93 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 81.2% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 1.2% |
| Work from home | 7.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,790 |
| Income per person | $34,700 |
| Median gross rent per month | $819 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.2% |
| Median home value | $120,700 |
| Homeowners | 68.4% |
| Poverty rate | 12.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.2 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,590 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 41.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 17.9% |
| Born abroad | 1.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 59.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.0 | 25 | 52 |
| Feb | -2.3 | 28 | 51 |
| Mar | 4.4 | 40 | 68 |
| Apr | 11.2 | 52 | 98 |
| May | 17.1 | 63 | 114 |
| Jun | 22.2 | 72 | 110 |
| Jul | 24.3 | 76 | 101 |
| Aug | 23.5 | 74 | 92 |
| Sep | 19.5 | 67 | 86 |
| Oct | 11.9 | 53 | 87 |
| Nov | 5.0 | 41 | 64 |
| Dec | -1.2 | 30 | 61 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria | IL | 13 mi | 112,169 | $59,410 | $1,005 |
| Normal | IL | 33 mi | 53,569 | $64,785 | $965 |
| Bloomington | IL | 35 mi | 78,907 | $77,384 | $1,050 |
| Galesburg | IL | 47 mi | 29,481 | $48,297 | $801 |
| Springfield | IL | 54 mi | 113,330 | $66,064 | $975 |
| Decatur | IL | 61 mi | 69,815 | $51,592 | $845 |
| Moline | IL | 78 mi | 42,197 | $67,701 | $900 |
| Champaign | IL | 78 mi | 89,996 | $56,118 | $1,123 |
| Rock Island | IL | 80 mi | 36,151 | $59,041 | $842 |
| Burlington | IA | 80 mi | 23,728 | $59,000 | $924 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
31,781 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$819 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.2% of the median household income.
$60,790 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Tazewell County (latest month 2026M09)).
Illinois. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.