Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Morrison gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $172K for a typical one, or 2.6 years of the Sterling area’s $68K median household income. It grades A− overall, 178th among Illinois's 767 graded towns. On the plus side, 5% of its land is conserved. Morrison’s average commute is 18 minutes, against 26 minutes in Illinois’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Morrison is home to Morrison Institute of Technology. Morrison has 2 places on the National Register.
Where Morrison beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Morrison is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,981 in 1880, 4,085 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 3 maps from 1934 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Morrison, 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 Morrison.
Morrison pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Illinois norm, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Clinton and other neighbors.
The biggest park or preserve is Whiteside County Fairgrounds, at 34 acres. Across 6 parks and preserves: 1.7 miles of trail. In Morrison, the trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Morrison | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sports Complex | 1.2 mi | 31 |
| 2. Whiteside County Fairgrounds | — | 34 |
| 3. French Creek Park | — | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Morrison grades A− overall with a typical home of about $172K, below the Illinois typical value; only 48 of the 183 Illinois towns graded A− or better can say that. The median property tax bill is $2,366, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Homes in Morrison are typically worth about $172,000, up 2.7% in a year, 42% below the Illinois typical home. The town’s typical rent stands at $760 a month. On the market locally: a median 80 days to sell.
| Morrison | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $760 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 10,461 U.S. towns with household incomes like Morrison’s, it is healthier than 87%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
11% of Morrison adults worry about having enough food. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Morrison is ahead of Illinois on 7 and behind on 4. In Morrison, a third of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Morrison | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Morrison | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.9% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.8% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 13°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Morrison has about as many jobs (1,688) as working residents, but only 410 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 18 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
The top destinations are Clinton (9%), Sterling (9%) and Davenport (3%). About one worker in four stays in Morrison for work. Its typical household income comes in at $69,000. The median commute is under 15 miles.
| Morrison | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The level of violent crime for Morrison comes to 2 per 1,000 residents. Morrison's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. 8 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Morrison | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Federal aid has come to Morrison households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2013. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Morrison break down as 57% from inland flooding and 14% from tornadoes. Flood insurance has paid out on 15 claims in the town since 1997.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Morrison
About 6 of every 100 Morrison residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
2 places in Morrison on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Morrison.
City in Illinois, United States
Morrison is a town and the county seat of Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Morrison had a population of 4,085. It is located on the Historic Lincoln Highway, the nation's first transcontinental highway and in Morrison was the site of two concrete "seedling miles", which served as prototypes of what an improved highway could do for the nation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Morrison grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #178 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B+ for health and B− for schools.
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.
11 notable people were born here, including Robert Andrews Millikan and Lafe McKee.
