Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,987, settled in 1870. 2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Makanda Township grades C overall, ranked 579th of 767 in Illinois, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It has 38 miles of trail. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $193K for a typical one and 4 times the Carbondale area’s $49K median household income. 60% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Makanda Township, against 29% in Illinois’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Giant City State Park, 2,201 acres with 17 miles of trail. Only 94 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life.
Where Makanda Township beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Unity Point Elem School | PK–8 | 620 |
| Giant City Elem School | PK–8 | 218 |
| Tcse-Unity Point Elem | — |
Where Makanda Township’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 Makanda Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 344 in 1890, a low of 164 in 1960, 547 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 2003 and 5 maps from 1922 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Makanda Township, 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 Makanda Township.
Makanda Township’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Giant City State Park | 17 mi | 2,201 |
| 2. Fern Rocks Nature Preserve | 1.7 mi | 177 |
| 3. Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge | 0.3 mi | 166 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Unity Point CCSD 140. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unity Point Elem SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 620 | B |
| Giant City Elem SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 218 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Typical home values rose 5.1% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Makanda Township is $925 a month.
| Makanda Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $925 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Makanda Township has 206 jobs for its 1,463 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 452 in 2013 to 206.
Most working residents leave Makanda Township for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Makanda Township has lost 246 jobs, to 206 in 2023. The top destinations are Carbondale (39%), Marion (8%) and Murphysboro (4%).
| Makanda Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Work from home | 14% | 11% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 2005, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Makanda Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Makanda Township has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 24° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Makanda Township beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 39% of Makanda Township adults have obesity.
| Makanda Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 33% |
| What stands out | Makanda Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.9% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Makanda Township
About 7 of every 100 Makanda Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
2 places in Makanda Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
Village in Illinois, United States
Makanda ( muh-KAN-duh) is a village in Jackson County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 547, down from 561 in 2010. In the early 20th Century it used the slogan "Star of Egypt." Makanda is part of the Carbondale, Illinois Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Makanda Township.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makanda Township · Makanda | #579 | C | C− | — | B+ | B |
| Carbondale Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pomona Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Makanda Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Carbondale Township and Pomona Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Makanda and Makanda Township are one community, graded once. Compare Makanda Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Makanda Township grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #579 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
