Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bushnell gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $69K, 1.3 years of the Macomb area’s $53K median household income. It grades C overall, 617th among Illinois's 767 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its public schools trail 91% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation and residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 14% of residents are under 18 in Bushnell, below both Illinois’ towns (22%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 3 of the 458 Illinois towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Bushnell.
Where Bushnell beats most towns.
3,117 counted in 2010 and 2,718 in 2020; an estimated 2,600 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 4.1% since 2020, after 12.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Bushnell is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D for schools (better than 9%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,003 in 1870, a peak of 3,811 in 1980, 2,718 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1916 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bushnell, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Bushnell.
At 1.3 years of the Macomb area’s $53K median household income, the typical home (about $69K) costs less against local pay than in 97% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living. Values fell 6.9% in the past year while the Illinois typical home rose 5.3%.
Bushnell’s median rent is $648 a month. Typical home values fell 6.9% in the year to September 2026. The typical Bushnell home is worth about $69,000, 77% below the Illinois typical home.
| Bushnell | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $648 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
24% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Bushnell. Bushnell beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in Bushnell.
| Bushnell | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Bushnell | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 18.7% | 12.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 5 of Bushnell’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Bushnell fell to 708 in 2023, 123 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Macomb (24%), Peoria (5%) and Galesburg (3%).
| Bushnell | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.8% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bushnell has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 16° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 17 |
| 2. East Park | — | 4 |
| 3. West Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bushnell
About 3 of every 100 Bushnell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
8 notable people were born in Bushnell.
City in Illinois, United States
Bushnell is a city in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,718 at the 2020 census, down from 3,117 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bushnell grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #617 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C− for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
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+.
8 notable people were born here, including Joseph Sarsfield Glass and William C. Foster.