Atkinson, Illinois, 2012
Atkinson Township’s story
170 years in pictures
Census counts: 504 in 1880, 965 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2012 and 4 maps from 1934 on.
- 1856Atkinson Township is settled
Atkinson TownshipIL
A town of 1,199, settled in 1856. 2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Population
1,199
2025 Census estimate · −3.2% since 2020
Median home value
$125K
Census ACS
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
51.2
years
Jobs based here
147
A commuter town
Is Atkinson Township a good place to live?
The best of Atkinson Township’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life. Only 90 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on cost of living. Atkinson Township’s median age is 51.2 years, where Illinois’ towns sit at 40.7 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Only 12 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, at 213 acres. Atkinson Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Atkinson Township stand out
Where Atkinson Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Atkinson Township7.5
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA+
2.2 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Bureau/Henry/Stark ROE schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Reg'l Safe School Program ROE #28 | 6–12 | — |
| ROE 28 Student Support ALOP | 4–12 | — |
| Excel Alternative Program | — |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,199 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Geneseo TownshipLoraine TownshipCornwall TownshipAlba TownshipAtkinson Township
How Atkinson Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Atkinson Township is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $125K, 1.7 years of the Davenport metro’s $73K median household incomeA+Open →SchoolsA−Open →HealthHammond Henry Hospital 6.3 miles awayBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 4% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Jobs & incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6% conserved landBOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life7.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Atkinson Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Atkinson Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAtkinson water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Atkinson Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHenry County ClerkHenry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP codes61235, 6125461235 90% · 61254 10%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Atkinson Township.
SchoolsA−
Atkinson Township’s schools rank ahead of 75% of Illinois districts
Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
75%of IL districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel Alternative ProgramLargest public school before high school | – | – | |
| Reg'l Safe School Program ROE #28Largest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Atkinson Township has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Atkinson Township for work: only 3% work in town. At $58,000, Atkinson Township’s median household income is below both Illinois’ towns ($83,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Since 2013, Atkinson Township has lost 194 jobs, to 147 in 2023.
3%work in town
| Atkinson Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Atkinson Township3%
Geneseo20%
Moline7%
Davenport5%
Rock Island5%
24 mi
median commute distance
147
jobs based in Atkinson Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Atkinson Township
Atkinson Township has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Atkinson Township is healthier than 63% of U.S. towns
Atkinson Township beats the Illinois average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 38% of Atkinson Township adults have high blood pressure.
63%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Atkinson Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
7 better19 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Atkinson Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.8% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 7.6% |
Hammond Henry Hospital
6.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Atkinson Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB
Conserved land covers 5.7% of Atkinson Township
0.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
5.7%conserved
5.7%
conserved · 1,269 of 22,417 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park | — | 213 |
| 2. Veterans Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Atkinson Township
18pages on Atkinson Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Atkinson Township; the nearest are
Black Hawk CollegeCommunity college · Public · Moline21.3 mi$4,920 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb73.4 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Atkinson Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Atkinson Township for work
Where Atkinson Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
147jobs based in Atkinson Township
3%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Atkinson Township
Town in Henry County, Illinois, United States
Atkinson is a town in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 965 at the 2020 census, down from 972 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1867
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 653 ft
- ZIP code
- 61235
- Area code
- 309
Questions about Atkinson Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Atkinson Township, IL a good place to live?
2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Is Atkinson Township, IL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.