You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Illinois. Best suburbs in Illinois. Best counties in Illinois.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Prairie State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Illinois based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Illinois ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$141,552 median income · 2.4% unemployment
$130,833 median income · 2.5% unemployment
$138,618 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$165,486 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$110,000 median income · 1.5% unemployment
$148,906 median income · 2.6% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$129,479 median income · 0.0% unemployment
Data | Movers
$150,139 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$250,001 median income · 4.0% unemployment
$70,962 median income · 0.9% unemployment
Data | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Illinois’s statewide median.
Illinois statewide median: $83,390
Illinois statewide median: $285,736
Illinois statewide median: 5.8%
On the map
Where Illinois’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Illinois
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Illinois possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 356 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 356, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Illinois. Top of that list — Dunlap.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Illinois.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Illinois
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dunlap | 1,360 | $141,552 | $371,677 | 2.4% |
| 2 | Leland Grove | 1,517 | $130,833 | $317,201 | 2.5% |
| 3 | Knollwood | 1,864 | $138,618 | $426,488 | 0.0% |
| 4 | Prestbury | 2,045 | $165,486 | $393,606 | 0.0% |
| 5 | Hudson | 1,918 | $110,000 | $300,508 | 1.5% |
| 6 | Sherman | 4,386 | $148,906 | $324,534 | 2.6% |
| 7 | Metamora | 4,159 | $129,479 | $215,842 | 0.0% |
| 8 | Third Lake | 1,137 | $150,139 | $409,867 | 2.3% |
| 9 | Kenilworth | 2,503 | $250,001 | $2,032,330 | 4.0% |
| 10 | Fairbury | 3,713 | $70,962 | $187,085 | 0.9% |
| 11 | Rochester | 3,766 | $117,118 | $289,437 | 2.9% |
| 12 | St. Joseph | 3,778 | $120,789 | $278,421 | 0.9% |
| 13 | Teutopolis | 1,729 | $115,938 | $257,843 | 2.0% |
| 14 | Stillman Valley | 1,260 | $87,833 | $279,570 | 1.2% |
| 15 | Deer Park | 3,711 | $174,458 | $743,157 | 2.3% |
| 16 | Bannockburn | 1,148 | $214,000 | $1,190,351 | 1.8% |
| 17 | Tower Lakes | 1,106 | $154,167 | $637,071 | 2.8% |
| 18 | Twin Grove | 1,458 | $116,250 | $287,364 | 0.0% |
| 19 | Germa | 3,436 | $147,341 | $287,472 | 2.1% |
| 20 | St. Jacob | 1,759 | $112,188 | $346,061 | 2.4% |
| 21 | Lake Camelot | 1,629 | $133,656 | $256,544 | 3.3% |
| 22 | Big Rock | 1,548 | $162,854 | $410,571 | 2.2% |
| 23 | Philo | 1,487 | $105,625 | $252,397 | 0.9% |
| 24 | Tuscola | 4,808 | $78,179 | $175,475 | 1.1% |
| 25 | Riverwoods | 4,013 | $249,205 | $949,531 | 0.7% |
| 26 | Wayne | 2,562 | $161,719 | $755,393 | 2.7% |
| 27 | Forest Lake | 1,865 | $96,250 | $456,716 | 4.7% |
| 28 | Heyworth | 2,573 | $96,500 | $261,119 | 3.2% |
| 29 | Aviston | 2,387 | $117,875 | $301,287 | 1.9% |
| 30 | Tremont | 2,366 | $79,810 | $247,214 | 0.3% |
| 31 | Forsyth | 3,502 | $112,000 | $306,887 | 4.6% |
| 32 | Williamsville | 1,314 | $106,731 | $247,816 | 1.0% |
| 33 | Timberlane | 1,278 | $147,308 | $436,364 | 2.9% |
| 34 | Port Barrington | 1,477 | $149,886 | $419,936 | 2.9% |
| 35 | Crystal Lawns | 1,766 | $82,033 | $263,923 | 0.9% |
| 36 | Le Roy | 3,236 | $81,875 | $201,896 | 3.2% |
| 37 | Red Bud | 3,782 | $71,850 | $255,186 | 2.3% |
| 38 | Peotone | 4,587 | $108,523 | $327,156 | 4.6% |
| 39 | Downs | 1,641 | $110,625 | $321,588 | 1.7% |
| 40 | The Galena Territory | 1,735 | $117,548 | $352,368 | 1.9% |
| 41 | Danvers | 1,130 | $88,854 | $239,247 | 1.8% |
| 42 | Kildeer | 4,292 | $250,001 | $837,454 | 5.9% |
| 43 | Jerome | 1,807 | $65,189 | $152,578 | 2.8% |
| 44 | Orion | 1,812 | $94,375 | $213,925 | 3.4% |
| 45 | Port Byron | 1,854 | $111,667 | $299,117 | 2.9% |
| 46 | Oakwood Hills | 2,416 | $109,907 | $342,687 | 4.4% |
| 47 | Heritage Lake | 1,522 | $133,048 | $224,964 | 0.0% |
| 48 | Catlin | 2,160 | $72,277 | $166,314 | 1.2% |
| 49 | Hamel | 1,134 | $109,464 | $277,197 | 0.7% |
| 50 | Winnebago | 2,981 | $92,614 | $279,059 | 3.4% |
| 51 | Germa | 1,350 | $92,083 | $208,903 | 1.8% |
| 52 | Coal Valley | 4,229 | $106,850 | $262,211 | 3.0% |
| 53 | Rome | 1,947 | $88,750 | $173,417 | 0.0% |
| 54 | Oreana | 1,037 | $89,000 | $180,169 | 5.3% |
| 55 | Marine | 1,049 | $76,544 | $254,703 | 1.7% |
| 56 | Elmwood | 2,327 | $90,285 | $179,067 | 1.0% |
| 57 | Lakewood | 4,707 | $173,625 | $192,148 | 1.4% |
| 58 | Smithton | 3,680 | $135,455 | $306,316 | 3.3% |
| 59 | Marquette Heights | 2,492 | $75,625 | $142,056 | 1.3% |
| 60 | Beecher | 4,728 | $103,415 | $310,036 | 1.3% |
| 61 | Prairie Grove | 2,165 | $141,389 | $507,444 | 3.2% |
| 62 | Newark | 1,138 | $99,375 | $411,695 | 2.3% |
| 63 | Fox River Grove | 4,523 | $121,506 | $351,812 | 5.8% |
| 64 | Roanoke | 1,967 | $82,063 | $166,680 | 0.9% |
| 65 | Millstadt | 4,008 | $90,901 | $295,416 | 4.3% |
| 66 | Hampton | 1,926 | $90,406 | $199,212 | 4.3% |
| 67 | Lexington | 2,126 | $99,167 | $229,553 | 4.1% |
| 68 | Fisher | 1,605 | $97,702 | $227,033 | 2.0% |
| 69 | Green Oaks | 4,096 | $147,614 | $730,455 | 6.3% |
| 70 | Minier | 1,102 | $88,542 | $171,725 | 3.3% |
| 71 | Tolono | 3,566 | $69,653 | $245,418 | 11.4% |
| 72 | Barrington Hills | 3,879 | $205,074 | $1,020,851 | 3.0% |
| 73 | Hanna City | 1,330 | $73,265 | $218,283 | 2.8% |
| 74 | Breese | 4,301 | $85,222 | $257,897 | 3.8% |
| 75 | Sleepy Hollow | 3,161 | $149,813 | $460,164 | 5.1% |
| 76 | Marshall | 4,040 | $76,250 | $167,804 | 2.3% |
| 77 | Indian Head Park | 3,974 | $100,149 | $355,707 | 6.7% |
| 78 | Lena | 2,761 | $72,663 | $202,828 | 2.6% |
| 79 | Oakbrook Terrace | 2,723 | $76,905 | $417,654 | 3.7% |
| 80 | New Baden | 3,463 | $81,393 | $218,977 | 2.6% |
| 81 | Valmeyer | 1,090 | $94,821 | $260,074 | 0.6% |
| 82 | Poplar Grove | 3,923 | $120,278 | $273,850 | 5.2% |
| 83 | Galena | 2,931 | $58,689 | $308,045 | 1.6% |
| 84 | Worden | 1,094 | $89,000 | $307,298 | 2.7% |
| 85 | Lake of the Woods | 2,091 | $61,625 | $209,988 | 6.2% |
| 86 | Fox Lake Hills | 2,399 | $111,964 | $290,048 | 8.2% |
| 87 | North Barrington | 3,143 | $226,055 | $821,486 | 3.4% |
| 88 | Morrison | 3,739 | $69,089 | $161,974 | 2.3% |
| 89 | Mackinaw | 1,979 | $67,292 | $251,474 | 2.8% |
| 90 | Pawnee | 2,738 | $81,103 | $183,029 | 4.2% |
| 91 | Lily Lake | 1,293 | $140,313 | $557,115 | 8.9% |
| 92 | Pistakee Highlands | 3,374 | $102,986 | $235,274 | 2.6% |
| 93 | Palos Park | 4,816 | $121,696 | $530,826 | 4.7% |
| 94 | Mount Sterling | 1,980 | $59,087 | $142,380 | 3.1% |
| 95 | Lebanon | 4,474 | $88,750 | $166,284 | 2.0% |
| 96 | Petersburg | 2,341 | $56,458 | $205,174 | 1.4% |
| 97 | Byron | 3,743 | $78,852 | $266,184 | 3.0% |
| 98 | Albers | 1,280 | $109,583 | $253,533 | 3.1% |
| 99 | Essex | 1,026 | $108,250 | $287,634 | 3.4% |
| 100 | Moweaqua | 1,915 | $69,625 | $164,053 | 2.9% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 356 Illinois towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Illinois are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Illinois are Dunlap, Leland Grove, Knollwood, Prestbury, Hudson, Sherman, Metamora, Third Lake, Kenilworth, and Fairbury. Not sold on Illinois? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Illinois FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Illinois?
Dunlap is the best small town in Illinois for 2026. The median household income there is $141,552 and the median home costs $371,677. Leland Grove and Knollwood round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Illinois?
The best small towns in Illinois are Dunlap, Leland Grove, Knollwood, Prestbury, Hudson, Sherman, Metamora, Third Lake, Kenilworth, and Fairbury. We ranked all 356 Illinois towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Illinois place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 356 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Illinois?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Dunlap, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Dunlap?
The median home in Dunlap runs $371,677, against $285,736 across Illinois as a whole. Pair that with a $141,552 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
