Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,715, settled in 1833.
Newton gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $161K for a typical one, or 2.2 years of the county’s $75K median household income. It grades B overall, 365th of 767 graded towns in Illinois. On the plus side, its schools outperform 78% of the state's. 25% of working residents work locally in Newton, against 8.3% in Illinois’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Peterson Park, at 26 acres. Newton is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 73% of U.S. towns.
Where Newton beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Newton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,168 in 1880, 2,777 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 2 maps from 1941 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Newton, 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 Newton.
Newton trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, trades workers with Effingham and other neighbors and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
Homes are within reach (about $161K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles. The median property tax bill is $2,109, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Newton is $794 a month. Typical home values rose 8.1% in the year to September 2026.
| Newton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $794 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Newton beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 16% of Newton adults report frequent physical distress.
| Newton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Newton | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.9% | 6.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 5.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Newton has chilly winters and warm summers. Newton’s July high is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Newton has about as many jobs (1,234) as working residents, but only 283 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 20.9 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
About one in 4 of Newton’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Newton has added 132 jobs, to 1,234 in 2023. The top destinations are Effingham (14%), Greenup (5%) and Robinson (3%).
| Newton | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 42 to 32 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Peterson Park | — | 26 |
| 2. Boys & Girls Park | — | 12 |
| 3. Earl Dufrain Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Newton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Newton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
4 notable people were born in Newton.
City in Illinois, United States
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,777 at the 2020 census. Newton is home to a large coal-fired power plant operated by Illinois Power Generating Co and is close to Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Sam Parr State Fish and Wildlife Area. Newton is also home to the Drive 'n Theatre, formerly known as the Fairview Drive-In, which opened in 1953. It is one of ten drive-ins left standing in Illinois.
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. Newton grades B overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #365 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C for health, C+ for safety and A− 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Edwin B. Brooks and Laurence F. Arnold.
