Lerna, Illinois

Lerna
Village
Lerna United Methodist Church
Location of Lerna in Coles County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates: 39°25′5″N 88°17′20″W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Coles
Township	Pleasant Grove
Area
• Total	0.12 sq mi (0.30 km2)
• Land	0.12 sq mi (0.30 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	741 ft (226 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	286
• Estimate  (2016)	281
• Density	2,401.71/sq mi (927.86/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	62440
Area code	217
FIPS code	17-42938
Wikimedia Commons	Lerna, Illinois

Lerna is a village in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 286 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Thomas Lincoln, father of President Abraham Lincoln, spent the later part of his life on a homestead a few miles away, preserved today as the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site. Thomas Lincoln and his second wife Sarah Bush Lincoln are buried in Shiloh Cemetery south of town.

Geography

Lerna is located at 39°25′5″N 88°17′20″W (39.417943, -88.288957).

According to the 2010 census, Lerna has a total area of 0.12 square miles (0.31 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	396		—
1910	391		−1.3%
1920	366		−6.4%
1930	331		−9.6%
1940	301		−9.1%
1950	304		1.0%
1960	296		−2.6%
1970	288		−2.7%
1980	386		34.0%
1990	301		−22.0%
2000	322		7.0%
2010	286		−11.2%
2016 (est.)	281		−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 322 people, 112 households, and 81 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,761.1 people per square mile (1,036.0/km²). There were 131 housing units at an average density of 1,123.3 per square mile (421.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.76% White, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 112 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the village, the population was spread out with 33.9% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $32,292, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $24,659 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,596. None of the families and 2.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 8.8% of those over 64.