Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Genoa is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, ranked 458th of 767 in Illinois, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 64% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $82K. A typical home there costs about $317K, 3.5 years of the Chicago metro’s $91K median household income. Genoa’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, where Illinois’ towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest place to walk is Russel Woods, 63 acres with 1.8 miles of trail. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 69% of U.S. towns.
Where Genoa beats most towns.
3% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Genoa is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 449 in 1880, 5,298 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 3 maps from 1938 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Genoa, 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 Genoa.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Russel Woods | 1.8 mi | 63 |
| 2. Kiernan Park | 1.4 mi | 38 |
| 3. Lions Corner Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jobs based here fell from 1,053 in 2013 to 830.
Most working residents leave Genoa for work: only 9% work in town. At 33 minutes, Genoa’s average trip to work is against 26 minutes in Illinois’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Genoa fell to 830 in 2023, 223 fewer than in 2013.
| Genoa | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Genoa has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 14° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Genoa beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 21% of adults binge drink in Genoa.
| Genoa | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Genoa | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 15.9% | 12.1% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19% | 15.6% |
| More adults with depression | 23.8% | 19.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Typical home values rose 5.7% in the year to September 2026. Genoa’s median rent is $940 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Genoa. Close and well known come first.
13 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
37 mi MuseumMorton Arboretum
24 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
11 mi TheatreEgyptian Theatre, DeKalb
22 mi Theme parkSanta's Village Amusement & Water Park22 mi MuseumFox River Trolley MuseumIllinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Morton Arboretum: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · Egyptian Theatre, DeKalb: Andy McMurray, CC BY 2.5 · Santa's Village Amusement & Water Park: Martin Lewison from The Hague, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Genoa
About 7 of every 100 Genoa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Where Genoa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Place in Illinois, United States
Genoa is a city in the north-east corner of DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the historic Galena-Chicago stagecoach route. At the 2020 census the city had a population of 5,298, up from 5,193 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Genoa.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genoa · Genoa Township | #458 | B− | B | — | B | C+ |
| Kingston Township | #411 | B | B | — | B | B |
Genoa and Kingston Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Genoa Township and Genoa are one community, graded once. Compare Genoa with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Genoa grades B− overall, better than 53% of U.S. towns and #458 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C+ for health and B 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.
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