Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Milford’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Milford, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 1 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on incomes. Milford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Milford beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Milford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 230 in 1870, a peak of 1,716 in 1980, 1,158 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 2 maps from 1944 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Milford, 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 Milford.
Home values are up 2.5% over the year to September 2026. Milford’s typical rent is $716 a month, below both the Illinois town median ($1,129 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The share of households in Milford who own their home: 79%.
| Milford | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $716 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Milford: 16% of adults report frequent physical distress. 18% of adults in Milford smoke cigarettes; 41% have obesity.
| Milford | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Milford | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.7% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 17.5% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based in Milford fell to 214 in 2023, 77 fewer than in 2013. Most working residents leave Milford for work: only 10% work in town. Its middle household income is $47,000. The top destinations are Watseka (11%), Hoopeston (7%) and Danville (4%).
| Milford | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA puts 55% of Milford’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 32% to cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities. 3 flood insurance claims have been paid in the town since 2015.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 85° on a July afternoon, with about 25 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Milford’s trail density stands at 0.6 miles per square mile. One park or preserve covers 4 acres in the town.
| Milford | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Milford Township Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Milford; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Milford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
1,306 counted in 2010 and 1,158 in 2020; an estimated 1,116 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
4 notable people were born in Milford.
Village in Illinois, United States
Milford is a village in Milford Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,158 at the 2020 census. The village's name comes from its location, where the Old Hubbard Trail forded Sugar Creek and where a gristmill stood in 1836 ("the mill at the ford").
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
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.
4 notable people were born here, including Jessie Sumner and Claude Rothgeb.