Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Momence gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $186K for a typical one, or 2.6 years of the Kankakee metro’s $71K median household income. It grades C overall, 585th of 767 graded towns in Illinois. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and its public schools trail 80% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Only 38 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on history. 15% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Momence, where Illinois’ towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%.
Where Momence beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Downtown Momence Historic DistrictEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Momence is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,037 in 1880, 3,117 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1885 and 3 maps from 1922 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Momence, 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 Momence.
Momence trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Illinois (mostly inland flooding).
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of Illinois towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1979, 34 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Momence.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes are within reach (about $186K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 21 miles.
Momence’s median rent is $803 a month. Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026. 67% of Momence households own their home.
| Momence | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $803 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 1 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Momence is 4.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Momence | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 8,472 U.S. towns with household incomes like Momence’s, it is less healthy than 53%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Momence beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 41% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Momence.
| Momence | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Momence | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.7% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 15.5% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Momence has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 17° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Momence for work: only 13% work in town. Since 2013, Momence has lost 308 jobs, to 1,802 in 2023. The top destinations are Chicago (9%), Kankakee (8%) and Momence Township (6%).
| Momence | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Momence | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.2% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Island Park | 0.6 mi | 17 |
| 2. St. Patrick's Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Conrad Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Momence
About 4 of every 100 Momence residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
2 places in Momence on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Momence.
City in Illinois, United States
Momence is a city in Momence Township, Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 3,117 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Kankakee–Bradley metropolitan statistical area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Momence grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #585 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C for health, B+ for safety and C− for schools. Hazard risk 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 Malcolm Ross and William B. Tabler.
