Sumner is a city in Lawrence County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Sumner had a population of 2,631. Approximately 2,000 of that population were inmates at the Lawrence Correctional Center.
Sumner was established as a stop along the Ohio and Mississippi Railway in the early 1850s. Initially known as "Black Jack" when a post office was opened in 1852, the city was renamed for Benjamin Sumner, an early settler, in 1855. Sumner incorporated in 1887.
Sumner lies along Illinois State Route 250, just south of its junction with U.S. Route 50 to the north. Red Hills State Park is located just to the northeast.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Sumner has a total area of , all land.
As of the 2020 census there were 2,631 people, 345 households, and 218 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 331 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 39.38% White, 48.65% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 10.57% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.74% of the population.
There were 345 households, out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.51% were married couples living together, 16.23% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.81% were non-families. 28.12% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.88% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 2.32.
The city's age distribution consisted of 8.4% under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 47.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 532.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 796.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,298, and the median income for a family was $37,174. Males had a median income of $37,438 versus $21,111 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,303. About 28.9% of families and 26.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.7% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.
Sumner is sometimes reported as the American town with the highest male-to-female ratio. Males represent about 90 percent of the population when the figures include the Lawrence Correctional Center.
In 2011âÂÂ2013, the "found footage" horror film Unlisted Owner was filmed in and around Sumner by Jed Brian's production company Lawford County Productions. The film received a distribution agreement from Tom Cat Films in October 2016.