Estonia, Illinois

Estonia is an affluent city in Wabash County, Illinois. Named for the many Estonian immigrants, it is now considered one of the most diverse 'white' cities in the midwest.

The city is mostly composed of large subdivisions, but also includes large amounts of forested land and woodland neighborhoods. Downtown Estonia, a conversion of historical Shaleville, attracts many people to it's pedestrian friendly shopping.

The city is also home to Jason W. Drzew International Airport, which accounts for one fifth of all tourist traffic for the city of Kennedy.

History
The first settlement related to modern-day Estonia was the large town of Shaleville, founded in 1927. However, significant growth did not occur in the vicinity of the town until the 1970s.

The city of Estonia was originally part of Selmack Township until the incorporation of Alton in 1961. After Alton's incorporation, Selmack Township was dissolved, and the area that would later become Estonia became part of Orchard Grove Township.

The area remained rural until around 1976 when suburban development reached the area. Demand for larger suburban homes increased the desirability of the area and gave developers the opportunity to expand the area quickly while making significant profits.

A mass influx of Eastern European immigrants, fueled by fleeing their home countries due to the Cold War; came to the area during the recession of the 1980s because of a drop in house prices. As development neared closer and closer to the town of Shaleville, homes became smaller and smaller as housing developers struggled to profit from the population boost.

However, job growth was significant after the end of the recession, and many of the immigrants found themselves in better positions at better workplaces. Others who did not have such success often did not have any post-school education and headed to college for better prospects.

In 1987, the suburban developments officially encompassed and surrounded Shaleville and discussions between Shaleville and Orchard Grove Township went underway to incorporate the area. Votes were taken on the name of the new city. The name Estonia, suggested by Serhiy Stasyuk, a Ukranian immigrant living in a mostly Estonian neighborhood; caught on quickly throughout the immigrant population.

Voting ceased in November of 1987, with the name Estonia winning at 32.1%. Shaleville was the fourth highest voted name on the ballot with a mere 7.9%. The city incorporated in March of 1988.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 50,688 people, 27,340 households, and 24,019 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,208.1 per square mile.

The racial makeup of the city was 91.81% White, 0.36% African American, 0.24% Native American, 7.42% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races, and 0.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.24% of the population.

Top ancestries in the city were Ukranian (14.3%), Italian (9.2%), Estonian (7.4%), Hispanic (6.24%), Polish (4.7%), Finnish (4.2%), Latvian (3.8%). French, Croatian, German, Serbian, Greek, Lithuanian and Russian ancestries were also common.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,189, and the median income for a family was $68,225. The per capita income for the city was $29,852. About 8.6% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line.

Housing
The median house price in Eastwood was $192,681 in 2008. The average rent was $1,516 for houses and $1,158 for apartments. Renters made up 20.16% of the city population.

The city's vacancy rate in 2009 was 2.5%. Foreclosures make up 48.9% of vacant homes.

Education
According to the 2000 US Census:
 * 12.6% did not finish High School
 * 87.4% of citizens were high school graduates
 * 3.2% attended less than one year of college
 * 15.6% attended college for more than one year but did not finish


 * 42.1% of citizens held a college degree
 * 8.5% associates
 * 20.4% bachelors
 * 8.1% masters
 * 5.1% doctorate