Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Galesburg earns a D, ranked 716th of 767 in Illinois, mostly because of health and schools. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 87% of the country. Its public schools trail 83% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. 40% of working residents work locally in Galesburg, above both the Illinois town median (8.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). On history, just 11 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do better. Galesburg is home to Carl Sandburg College.
Where Galesburg beats most towns.
Old Main, Knox College| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Carl Sandburg College | 1,193 |
| Knox College | 1,001 |
2 colleges in town.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Galesburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Old Main, Knox College is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 323 in 1850, 30,052 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1863 and 2 maps from 1925 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Galesburg, 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 Galesburg.
Galesburg is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has household incomes well below the Illinois norm.
At 1.9 years of the Galesburg area’s $57K median household income, the typical home (about $106K) costs less against local pay than in 82% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,917, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Galesburg home is worth about $106,000, up 10.3% in a year, 64% below the Illinois typical home. Galesburg’s median rent is $801 a month.
| Galesburg | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $801 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 5,124 U.S. towns with household incomes like Galesburg’s, it is less healthy than 64%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Galesburg. Galesburg beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 26% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Galesburg.
| Galesburg | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Galesburg | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.4% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 18.2% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
6.9 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Lake Storey Park, 396 acres with 4.8 miles of trail.
| Galesburg | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Storey Park | 4.8 mi | 396 |
| 2. Kiwanis Park | 0.5 mi | 51 |
| 3. Inbinder Park | 0.5 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Galesburg has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 10,920 working residents takes 16.6 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
The average trip to work in Galesburg is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Galesburg has lost 2,886 jobs, to 12,482 in 2023. 19% of Galesburg residents live below the poverty line.
| Galesburg | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 11% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Galesburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Galesburg's reported crime rate is well above Illinois's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 130 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Galesburg | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 30.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
3 within 15 miles of the center of Galesburg
About 8 of every 100 Galesburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
3 places in Galesburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
42 notable people were born in Galesburg.
City in Illinois, United States
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Peoria. At the 2020 census, its population was 30,052. Galesburg is the home of Knox College, a private four-year liberal arts college, and Carl Sandburg College, a community college named for native-born poet Carl Sandburg. Galesburg is the county seat of Knox County and the principal city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Knox and Warren counties. A 496-acre (201 ha) section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galesburg Historic District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Galesburg.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Galesburg City Township (D) is closest.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg · Galesburg Township | #716 | D | B | — | C− | D |
| Galesburg City Township | #713 | D | B | — | C− | D |
| Henderson Township | — | — | C | — | C− | C |
| Knox Township | #469 | B− | B+ | — | B | C+ |
| East Galesburg | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Knoxville | #317 | B+ | A− | — | B | B |
Henderson Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Galesburg, Galesburg City Township, Henderson Township, Knox Township and Knoxville report no FBI crime data of their own. East Galesburg isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Galesburg Township and Galesburg are one community, graded once. Compare Galesburg with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Galesburg grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #716 of 767 in Illinois. It grades D for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 1.9 years of the area's median household income ($57,030 across the Galesburg, IL area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
42 notable people were born here, including Carl Sandburg and George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr..
