Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
3.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Trash day: look up yoursGeneseo is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades A− overall, ranked 254th of 767 in Illinois, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 75% of Illinois towns. It also does better than most on safety: crime is low: it reports less per resident than 73% of U.S. towns. A typical home there costs about $248K, 3.4 years of the Davenport metro’s $73K median household income. 33% of working residents work locally in Geneseo, above both Illinois’ towns (8.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Geneseo's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 100% of U.S. towns. Geneseo has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them South Side School and Atkinson Hall.
Where Geneseo beats most towns.
South Side SchoolEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Geneseo is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,794 in 1860, 6,539 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1934 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Geneseo, 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 Geneseo.
Geneseo pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Illinois norm, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and sees little violent crime.
Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
Geneseo’s violent crime rate is 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Geneseo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 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 10,514 U.S. towns with household incomes like Geneseo’s, it is healthier than 85%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Geneseo beats the Illinois average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Geneseo.
| Geneseo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 80% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Geneseo | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.4% | 13.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.4% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.0 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Richmond Hill Park, at 78 acres.
| Geneseo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.9% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Champion Park | 0.4 mi | 4 |
| 2. Richmond Hill Park | — | 78 |
| 3. Geneseo Prairie Park | — | 66 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Geneseo has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 15° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (23% statewide). The median age in Geneseo is 44.7 years. 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Illinois.
| Geneseo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.7 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.3 points). Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Geneseo | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.8% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.2% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.7% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.5% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.9% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The average commute for its 2,983 working residents takes 18.6 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
About one in 3 of Geneseo’s working residents works in town. 2.6% of Geneseo residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Geneseo has added 813 jobs, to 3,940 in 2023.
| Geneseo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.6% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 11% | 11% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Geneseo grades A− overall with a typical home of about $248K, below the Illinois typical value; only 48 of the 183 Illinois towns graded A− or better can say that.
Typical home values rose 8% in the year to September 2026.
| Geneseo | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,015 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 75% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Geneseo.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Geneseo; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Geneseo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
2 places in Geneseo on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Geneseo.
City in Illinois, United States
Geneseo (/dʒəˈnɛsi.oʊ/ jen-uh-SEE-oh) is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,539. Geneseo is 20 miles east of the Quad Cities, at the intersection of Interstate 80, U.S. Route 6 and Illinois Route 82. The city is known for its historically successful high school football and music programs. It is also known for its Victorian architecture.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Geneseo grades A− overall, better than 78% of U.S. towns and #254 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B+ for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
15 notable people were born here, including Agnes Meyer Driscoll and James Floyd Smith.
