Prophetstown Township Whiteside, 2007
Prophetstown’s story
191 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2006.
- 1835Prophetstown is settled
ProphetstownIL
Population
1,887
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Typical home
$171K
+7.6% in a year
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
43.7
years
Jobs based here
575
A commuter town
Is Prophetstown a good place to live?
The best of Prophetstown’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for civic life; the weakest is a C for incomes. Only 126 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on cost of living. Prophetstown's public schools trail 70% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. Among 340 Illinois towns, just 2 have a lower property crime rate than Prophetstown. The biggest park or preserve is Prophetstown State Park, at 56 acres. Prophetstown has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Prophetstown stand out
Where Prophetstown beats most towns.
Typical home value
Prophetstown$171K
Illinois$296K
Cost of livingA
2.5 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 93% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Prophetstown5.3
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA−
57% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
0historic places
HistoryB+
Settled in 1835
A long history
A history going back 191 years.
A commuter town
86% of working residents leave Prophetstown for work
Where Prophetstown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
575jobs based in Prophetstown
14%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Prophetstown grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Prophetstown is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & income$65K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →HealthMorrison Community Hospital 9.6 miles awayBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 5.9% of households have no car; 3.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7% conserved landBOpen →History3 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life3.5 library visits per resident; 5.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.7; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Prophetstown: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Prophetstown, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterProphetstown water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Prophetstown’s trash rules yet
SchoolsProphetstown-Lyndon-Tampico Community Unit School District 3Which school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWhiteside County ClerkWhiteside County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2026
ZIP code6127761277 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Prophetstown.
HousingCost of living grade A
Prophetstown’s typical home value is about $171K
The typical Prophetstown home is worth about $171,000, up 7.6% in a year, 42% below the Illinois typical home. At $733 a month, Prophetstown’s median rent is where Illinois’ towns sit at $1,129 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
$171KZillow home value
| Prophetstown | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $733 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Prophetstown$171K
Illinois$296K
+7.6%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most of Prophetstown’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Prophetstown for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Prophetstown has lost 225 jobs, to 575 in 2023. At 23 minutes, Prophetstown’s average trip to work is below both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).
14%work in town
| Prophetstown | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Prophetstown14%
Sterling8%
Morrison5%
Erie3%
Davenport3%
19 mi
median commute distance
575
jobs based in Prophetstown
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 53% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Prophetstown
Prophetstown has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 14° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Prophetstown faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Prophetstown.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
6
paid flood claims since 1979
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in Prophetstown
Prophetstown's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. The violent crime rate in Prophetstown is 0 per 1,000 residents.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Prophetstown0
Illinois3.2
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Prophetstown0
Illinois17.9
U.S.19.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2023
0
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
HealthB
Prophetstown is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Prophetstown beats the Illinois average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 37% of Prophetstown adults have high blood pressure.
57%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Prophetstown | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
7 better21 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Prophetstown | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.7% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.7% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 7.6% |
Morrison Community Hospital
9.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsB
Prophetstown has set aside 6.8% of its land for conservation
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
6.8%conserved
6.8%
conserved · 59 of 872 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prophetstown State Park | — | 56 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Prophetstown
20pages on Prophetstown
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 70% of IL districtsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthBBetter than IL on 7 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$171K typical home · up 7.6% in a yearWork & commuteC$65K median household income · 575 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Prophetstown
About 4 of every 100 Prophetstown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Famous people from Prophetstown
3 notable people were born in Prophetstown.
About Prophetstown
City in Illinois, United States
Prophetstown is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Prophetstown had a population of 1,946.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 630 ft
- ZIP code
- 61277
- Area code
- 815
Questions about Prophetstown
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Prophetstown, IL expensive?
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.
What is Prophetstown, IL known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Claude A. Fuller and Eva Emery Dye.