Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Galva’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life and an A− for history; the weakest is a D for schools. Only 59 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on cost of living. Galva is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 70% of U.S. towns. Only 40 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life. Galva has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Olof Johnson House and Galva Opera House. Galva has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Galva beats most towns.
Galva Opera HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Galva is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,005 in 1860, 2,470 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 2003 and 4 maps from 1940 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Galva, 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 Galva.
The typical Galva home is worth about $113,000, up 2.3% in a year, 62% below the Illinois typical home. At $783 a month, Galva’s median rent is against $1,129 a month in Illinois’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Galva | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $783 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Galva beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 15% of adults report frequent physical distress in Galva, where Illinois’ towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 14%. 39% of Galva adults have high blood pressure.
| Galva | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Galva | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.2% | 5.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Galva has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Galva’s working residents works in town. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Galva. Since 2013, Galva has added 190 jobs, to 820 in 2023.
| Galva | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Galva Park District, at 28 acres.
| Galva | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Galva Park District | 0.8 mi | 28 |
| 2. Wiley Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 3. Washington Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Galva; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Galva residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
2 places in Galva on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Illinois, United States
Galva is a city in southern Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,470 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.
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+.
2 notable people were born here, including George Helgesen Fitch and Helen Louise Babcock.
