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You've seen these lists before: Best places to live in Illinois, Most Beautiful Downtowns, etc., etc. But all of them 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 best 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 just want to know which places in Illinois ranked the based--you know, based on science.
Before we get to the top 15, here's a look at the 10 Best Small Towns To Live in Illinois for 2022.
The 10 Best Small Towns To Live In Illinois For 2022
What's the best small town in Illinois? Germa is the best small town in Illinois based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Germa, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you--keep reading and we'll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Prairie State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
The 15 Best Small Towns In Illinois For 2022
/10
Population: 3,421
Median Income: $120,057 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $232,600 (34th Best)
More on Germa: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,978
Median Income: $112,155 (24th Best)
Median Home Value: $309,000 (22nd Best)
More on Prestbury: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,237
Median Income: $111,458 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $220,200 (38th Best)
More on Leland Grove: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,398
Median Income: $91,156 (47th Best)
Median Home Value: $157,200 (97th Best)
More on Philo: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,100
Median Income: $99,018 (35th Best)
Median Home Value: $237,100 (33rd Best)
More on Dunlap: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,778
Median Income: $95,463 (41st Best)
Median Home Value: $206,300 (42nd Best)
More on Rochester: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,261
Median Income: $64,000 (133rd Best)
Median Home Value: $175,100 (65th Best)
More on Tremont: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,160
Median Income: $135,021 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $273,600 (26th Best)
More on Third Lake: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,128
Median Income: $96,538 (37th Best)
Median Home Value: $173,000 (75th Best)
More on Hudson: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,684
Median Income: $126,250 (14th Best)
Median Home Value: $319,600 (19th Best)
More on Knollwood: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,470
Median Income: $123,232 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $253,500 (30th Best)
More on Sherman: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,356
Median Income: $241,591 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $1,231,500 (1st Best)
More on Kenilworth: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,053
Median Income: $93,621 (43rd Best)
Median Home Value: $194,800 (48th Best)
More on St. Joseph: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,807
Median Income: $72,404 (98th Best)
Median Home Value: $169,100 (81st Best)
More on Teutopolis: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,013
Median Income: $149,583 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $401,900 (12th Best)
More on Lakewood: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Illinois
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent data from the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 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 a lot - 376 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 376, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Illinois. Top of that list -- Germa. You can download the data here.
Keep reading to find out more about our top 15 best small towns in Illinois.
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, we crunched the numbers, and it turns out, these 15 small towns in Illinois are the best, in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
If you're curious, here are the worst small towns in Illinois:
- Cairo
- Wamac
- Alorton
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Worst Places To Live In Illinois