Lock and Dam No. 21
Melrose Township’s story
Melrose Township in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 4 maps from 1925 on.
Explore the history →Melrose TownshipIL
A town of 5,506.
Population
5,506
2025 Census estimate · −2.7% since 2020
Median home value
$220K
Census ACS
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
48.2
years
Jobs based here
1,201
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#589 of 767 in IL
Is Melrose Township a good place to live?
Melrose Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, ranked 589th of 767 in Illinois, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: residents are healthier than 67% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $84K. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its public schools trail 70% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. A typical home there costs about $220K, 3.4 years of the Quincy area’s $65K median household income. Melrose Township’s average trip to work is 16 minutes, below both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 55 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score lower on walkability.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Melrose Township for work
Where Melrose Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,201jobs based in Melrose Township
4%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Melrose Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Melrose Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 1% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →HealthBlessing Hospital 4.7 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income1,201 jobs based hereBOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 3% conserved landC−Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life3.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Melrose Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Melrose Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMill Creek Pwd water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Melrose Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsQuincy School District 172Payson Community Unit School District 12 districts serve Melrose Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAdams County ClerkAdams County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes62305, 62360, 6230162305 95% · 62360 3% · 62301 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Melrose Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
More than half of Melrose Township’s working residents commute to Quincy
The average commute for its 2,735 working residents takes 15.9 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
Most working residents leave Melrose Township for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Quincy (53%), Ellington Township (9%) and Springfield (3%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
4%work in town
| Melrose Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 8.4% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Melrose Township4%
Quincy53%
Ellington Township9%
Springfield3%
Hannibal3%
5 mi
median commute distance
1,201
jobs based in Melrose Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC
For schools, Melrose Township earns a C
Its public schools are run by Quincy SD 172. Its one school is below.
30%of IL districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln-Douglas Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 588 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Melrose Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 20 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Melrose Township.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHeat waves
20
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
For health, Melrose Township earns a B+
Melrose Township beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 37% of adults have high blood pressure in Melrose Township.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Melrose Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
6 better22 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Melrose Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.8% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 7.6% |
Blessing Hospital
4.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
53rd
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Melrose Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Melrose Township has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Melrose Township is 87°F.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–39°
Spring43–63°
Summer65–85°
Fall45–65°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Illinois overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (39% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (23% statewide). Melrose Township’s median age is 48.2 years. Melrose Township has lost 2.7% of its people since 2020, down to 5,506 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
48.2median age · IL 39
| Melrose Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.2 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 19% | 18% |
Melrose TownshipIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school36%
Some college19%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Melrose Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.1% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.2% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.5% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.4% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.6% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.3% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.8% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.9% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.1% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
#555for trails in IL
| Melrose Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.8% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
2.8%
conserved · 828 of 29,712 acres
2.3 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Mark Twain Cave and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Melrose Township. Close and well known come first.
14 mi CaveMark Twain Cave
12 mi MuseumMark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
38 mi MuseumCarthage Jail
24 mi National Historic SiteNew Philadelphia National Historic Site
4 mi MuseumJohn Wood MansionSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mark Twain Cave: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · Carthage Jail: Nyttend, Public domain · New Philadelphia National Historic Site: Nyttend, Public domain · John Wood Mansion: Smallbones, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Melrose Township
18pages on Melrose Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Melrose Township
John Wood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Quincy2.2 mi$5,700 in-state tuitionQuincy UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Quincy4.5 mi$37,140 tuitionBlessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health SciencesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Quincy4.7 mi
About 7 of every 100 Melrose Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
About Melrose Township
Township in Illinois, US
Melrose Township is one of twenty-two townships in Adams County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,748 and it contained 2,375 housing units. The northwestern part of the township has been separated into Quincy Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 47 sq mi
- Elevation
- 607 ft
Melrose Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Melrose Township.
QuincyQuincy TownshipFall Creek TownshipBurton TownshipEllington TownshipRiverside TownshipMelrose Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose Township | #589 | C | B− | — | C | B+ |
| Quincy · Quincy Township | #562 | C+ | B+ | — | C | C+ |
| Fall Creek Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Burton Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ellington Township | #550 | C+ | C+ | — | C | B+ |
| Riverside Township | — | — | B+ | — | C | B+ |
Riverside Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Melrose Township, Quincy, Ellington Township and Riverside Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Fall Creek Township and Burton Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Quincy Township and Quincy are one community, graded once. Compare Melrose Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Melrose Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Melrose Township, IL a good place to live?
Melrose Township grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #589 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B+ for health and C for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Melrose Township, IL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.