Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,177, settled in 1860. 39% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
The best of Sheldon Township’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for civic life; the weakest is a D− for incomes. On hazard risk, just 9 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 75% of U.S. towns. On incomes, just 11 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. On the outdoors, just 23 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Sheldon Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sheldon Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Sheldon Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 231 in 1870, a peak of 1,455 in 1970, 965 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1926 and 2 maps from 1944 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sheldon 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 Sheldon Township.
Sheldon Township’s FEMA risk score is 90 of 100, above both the Illinois town median (50 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1981, 142 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sheldon Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Milford Area PSD 124 school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milford Grade School East CampusLargest public school before high schoolGrades PK | Grades PK | 1 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Sheldon Township beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 16% of Sheldon Township adults report frequent physical distress, above both Illinois’ towns (13%) and U.S. towns (14%). 18% of Sheldon Township adults smoke cigarettes.
| Sheldon Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Sheldon Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18% | 10.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.4% | 6.3% |
| More smokers | 17.9% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Sheldon Township for work: only 3% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Sheldon Township. The top destinations are Watseka (30%), Chicago (5%) and Kankakee (4%).
| Sheldon Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Sheldon Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 17° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Sheldon Township; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Sheldon Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Sheldon Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Sheldon is a village in Sheldon Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 965 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
39% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
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+.