Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Cambridge’s subject grades are an A+ for safety and civic life and an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 20 of Illinois’ 405 towns score higher on safety. Cambridge's schools outperform 74% of the state's. Only 7 of the 358 Illinois towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Cambridge. 17% of the land in Cambridge is conserved, where Illinois’ towns sit at 3.7% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 21 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life. Cambridge has 1 place on the National Register. Cambridge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cambridge beats most towns.
Henry County CourthouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Cambridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,203 in 1880, 2,086 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 4 maps from 1934 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cambridge, 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 Cambridge.
Cambridge’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, against 1 in Illinois’ towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Cambridge home is worth about $133,000, up 3% in a year, 55% below the Illinois typical home. 87% of Cambridge households own their home.
| Cambridge | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $968 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hand Park | — | 4 |
| 2. College Square Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Cambridge beats the Illinois average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of adults binge drink in Cambridge.
| Cambridge | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Cambridge | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.8% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Cambridge has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Cambridge for work: only 12% work in town. Since 2013, Cambridge has lost 254 jobs, to 676 in 2023. Cambridge’s average trip to work is 28 minutes.
| Cambridge | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Cambridge; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Cambridge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
4 notable people were born in Cambridge.
Village in Illinois, United States
Cambridge is a village in and the county seat of Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,086 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Not for the area. That is 1.8 years of the area's median household income ($72,738 across the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro 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−.
4 notable people were born here, including Brian Phelps and Charles F. Wennerstrum.
