Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Murphysboro Township earns a D, ranked 717th of 767 in Illinois, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $53K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: much of its housing is old. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns. Only 47 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on hazard risk. The biggest park or preserve is Riverside Park, at 42 acres.
Where Murphysboro Township beats most towns.
10,563 counted in 2010 and 9,434 in 2020; an estimated 9,333 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Murphysboro Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
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 1924 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Murphysboro Township, 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 Township.
Murphysboro Township is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Carbondale and other neighbors, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Illinois (mostly earthquakes).
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of Illinois towns, with expected losses of about $870 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
At 84 of 100, Murphysboro Township’s FEMA risk score is above both the Illinois town median (50 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1983, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Murphysboro Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by Murphysboro CUSD 186. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murphysboro Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 422 | D |
| Cope Alternative SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Against the 6,690 U.S. towns with household incomes like Murphysboro Township’s, it is healthier than 53%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Murphysboro Township beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 42% of adults have obesity in Murphysboro Township, where Illinois’ towns sit at 37% and U.S. towns at 35%. 39% of adults have high blood pressure in Murphysboro Township.
| Murphysboro Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Murphysboro Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.3% | 10.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Murphysboro Township has chilly winters and warm summers. Murphysboro Township’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Murphysboro Township has about as many jobs (3,130) as working residents, but only 648 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 20.1 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
Most working residents leave Murphysboro Township for work: only 19% work in town. The average trip to work in Murphysboro Township is 20 minutes. Jobs based in Murphysboro Township fell to 3,130 in 2023, 294 fewer than in 2013.
| Murphysboro Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 11% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 22% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 34% of residents (39% statewide). 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Illinois.
| Murphysboro Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 22% | 22% |
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.9 points). Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Murphysboro Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.3% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.4% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.2% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.4% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.4% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.9% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.8% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverside Park | — | 42 |
| 2. Lake Murphysboro State Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Longfellow Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Murphysboro Township
About 6 of every 100 Murphysboro Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
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)
5 towns share a border with Murphysboro Township.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murphysboro Township | #717 | D | B− | — | C | C |
| Somerset Township | #764 | D− | C− | — | C | C− |
| Sand Ridge Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pomona Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carbondale · Carbondale Township | #746 | D | C | D− | C | B− |
Murphysboro Township and Somerset Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Sand Ridge Township and Pomona Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Carbondale Township and Carbondale are one community, graded once. Compare Murphysboro Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Murphysboro Township grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #717 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C for health and C for schools. Hazard risk 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−.