Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,313, founded in 1894.
Johnston City grades D overall, ranked 694th of 767 in Illinois, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $42K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 79% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. One bright spot: homes are within reach, about $110K for a typical one, or 1.7 years of the Marion area’s $66K median household income. Johnston City’s average trip to work is 14 minutes, against 26 minutes in Illinois’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 106 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Johnston City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 84% of U.S. towns.
Where Johnston City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Johnston City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 787 in 1900, a peak of 7,137 in 1920, 3,384 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1909 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Johnston City, 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 Johnston City.
Johnston City 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.
2.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Johnston City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Johnston City Park | 0.2 mi | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Johnston City CUSD 1. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Johnston City High School, with 328 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 296 | C− |
| Johnston City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 328 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
At 1.7 years of the Marion area’s $66K median household income, the typical home (about $110K) costs less against local pay than in 88% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. At about $110K, home values are up 10% in five years, against a rise of 30% across Illinois.
The typical Johnston City home is worth about $110,000, about the same as a year ago, 63% below the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Johnston City is $976 a month.
| Johnston City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $976 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Johnston City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 1,320 working residents takes 14.3 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
Most working residents leave Johnston City for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Johnston City has added 46 jobs, to 452 in 2023. The top destinations are Marion (27%), Herrin (7%) and Carbondale (6%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 3,175 U.S. towns with household incomes like Johnston City’s, it is healthier than 81%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
24% of Johnston City adults have been diagnosed with depression. Johnston City beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 41% of Johnston City adults have obesity.
| Johnston City | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Johnston City | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 16.4% | 12.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Johnston City has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Johnston City’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Johnston City
About 4 of every 100 Johnston City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
3 notable people were born in Johnston City.
City in Illinois, United States
Johnston City is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,348 at the 2020 census. This was a center of coal mining in the early 20th century, having a peak of population in the 1920s. The mining jobs attracted many immigrants from Europe.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Johnston City grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #694 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
3 notable people were born here, including William C. Marland and Les Lannom.
