Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fulton gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $163K for a typical one, or 2.4 years of the Sterling area’s $68K median household income. It grades B overall, 441st among Illinois's 767 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $46K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, 4% of its land is conserved. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Fulton’s average trip to work is 16 minutes, where Illinois’ towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 55 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on history.
Where Fulton beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,512 in 1860, 3,647 in 2020. The archive holds 22 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 3 maps from 1891 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Fulton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fulton, 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 Fulton.
Fulton sends many workers across the state line to Davenport and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has household incomes well below the Illinois norm.
1.6 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Fulton’s density of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 8, covering 47 acres.
| Fulton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heritage Canyon Park | 0.5 mi | 14 |
| 2. Drives Park | 0.1 mi | 16 |
| 3. Pleasure Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
72.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 47.9% across Illinois. The median property tax bill is $2,132, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Zillow values the typical Fulton home at about $163,000, up 2.9% in a year, 45% below the Illinois typical home. The median rent for Fulton comes to $954 a month. 77% of households live in a home they own in the town.
| Fulton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $954 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
60% of working residents cross a state line to work, Davenport among the top destinations. The average commute for its 1,669 working residents takes 16.4 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
The top destinations are Clinton (30%), Davenport (4%) and Camanche (3%). Most people who work leave Fulton to do it: just 17% work in town. The median commute is under 7 miles.
| Fulton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
For Fulton, the violent offense rate is 0.6 per 1,000 residents. The property crime rate in the town is 6.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Fulton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 4,216 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fulton’s, it is healthier than 78%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
The share of adults in Fulton who say their health is fair or poor: 22%. Against the Illinois average, Fulton comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 10.
| Fulton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Fulton | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.9% | 75.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Summer afternoons peak near 84° in July, and January nights bottom out around 13°; snowfall runs to about 32 inches a winter. The seasons in Fulton: cold, snowy winters, warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
On expected storm and flood damage, Fulton sits below 60% of U.S. communities. The town has had 4 paid flood insurance claims since 1979. Just over half of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 18%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fulton
About 3 of every 100 Fulton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Fulton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Fulton on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Fulton.
Place in Illinois, United States
Fulton is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Fulton had a population of 3,647. Fulton is located across the Mississippi River from Clinton, Iowa.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Fulton.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton | #441 | B | B | B+ | B+ | C |
| Fulton Township | #487 | B− | B | — | B+ | C+ |
Fulton Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Fulton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Fulton grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #441 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C for health, B+ for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
5 notable people were born here, including Jack Reagan and John R. Huizenga.
