Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Murphysboro earns a D, 749th among Illinois's 767 graded towns, mostly because of safety and incomes. Its crime rate is higher than 91% of U.S. towns, with 50 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. The median household income is $44K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 10 places on the National Register. Murphysboro’s violent crime rate is 7.1 per 1,000 residents, above both Illinois’ towns (1) and U.S. towns (1.6). Only 48 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on hazard risk. Its National Register listings include Robert W. Hamilton House and Mobile and Ohio Railroad Depot.
Where Murphysboro beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Robert W. Hamilton House
Census counts: 2,196 in 1880, a peak of 10,703 in 1920, 7,093 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1927 and 4 maps from 1910 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Murphysboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Murphysboro, 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 Murphysboro.
Murphysboro is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Illinois rate and carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Illinois (mostly earthquakes).
The median property tax bill is $1,669, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
50% of households own their home in Murphysboro. Typical home values rose 4.5% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Murphysboro is $697 a month.
| Murphysboro | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $697 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Violent crime runs at 7.1 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Illinois rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D.
Murphysboro’s property crime rate is 25.4 per 1,000 residents. Murphysboro reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 3,727 U.S. towns with household incomes like Murphysboro’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
44% of Murphysboro adults have obesity. Murphysboro beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 14% of Murphysboro adults have diabetes.
| Murphysboro | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Murphysboro | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.8% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 17.6% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Illinois towns, with expected losses of about $355 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1983, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Murphysboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Murphysboro has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 24° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,576 working residents takes 20.8 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
About one in 4 of Murphysboro’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Carbondale (21%), Marion (6%) and Mount Vernon (3%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
| Murphysboro | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 11% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Riverside Park, at 43 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverside Park | — | 43 |
| 2. Longfellow Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Parkview Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Murphysboro
About 6 of every 100 Murphysboro residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
7,970 counted in 2010 and 7,093 in 2020; an estimated 6,977 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
10 places in Murphysboro on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Murphysboro.
City in Illinois, United States
Murphysboro is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,093 at the 2020 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Murphysboro grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #749 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C− for health, D for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
9 notable people were born here, including John A. Logan and Mike Bost.
