Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Jonesboro’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for schools; the weakest is a D for incomes. On incomes, just 111 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Jonesboro is more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 118 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Jonesboro has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Jonesboro beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro Elem School | PK–8 | 338 |
| Tcse-Jonesboro Grade SCH | — |
Where Jonesboro’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 Jonesboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 584 in 1850, 1,711 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 3 maps from 1920 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jonesboro, 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 Jonesboro.
The typical Jonesboro home is worth about $133,000, down 4.5% in a year, 55% below the Illinois typical home. Jonesboro’s median rent is $688 a month, below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Jonesboro | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $688 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the County of Union School District No43. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro Elem SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 338 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Jonesboro for work: only 6% work in town. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Jonesboro, above both the Illinois town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Jonesboro’s average trip to work is 17 minutes.
| Jonesboro | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Jonesboro since 2013.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jonesboro beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 16% of Jonesboro adults smoke cigarettes.
| Jonesboro | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Jonesboro | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 16.2% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jonesboro has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Jonesboro is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). Jonesboro has lost 4.4% of its people since 2020, down to 1,635 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 25% of residents are under 18 in Jonesboro.
| Jonesboro | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 39.7 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
47% women, 53% men
About 112 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Jonesboro | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.8% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.9% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.1% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.7% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.2% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.7% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.2% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
None within 15 miles of Jonesboro; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Jonesboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
City in Illinois, United States
Jonesboro () is a city in Union County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Jonesboro had a population of 1,711. It is the county seat of Union County. The city is known for being tied to its close neighbor Anna, together known as Anna-Jonesboro.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Jonesboro.
Jonesboro has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Jonesboro and Anna report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Jonesboro with a neighbor →
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.