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Illinois›Morgan County

South JacksonvilleIL

A town of 3,195.

Is South Jacksonville a good place to live?

South Jacksonville gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $150K, 2.3 years of the Jacksonville area’s $66K median household income. It grades B− overall, 466th among Illinois's 767 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its public schools trail 90% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation, and the median household income is $50K, and 9% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it reports less crime per resident than 83% of U.S. towns. South Jacksonville’s average trip to work is 14 minutes, below both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).

What makes South Jacksonville stand out

Where South Jacksonville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

A commuter town

97% of working residents leave South Jacksonville for work

Where South Jacksonville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

38% → Jacksonville Jacksonville 38% 17% → Springfield Springfield 17% 3% → Mount Sterling Mount Sterling 3% 2% → St. Louis St. Louis 2% 1% → Beardstown Beardstown 1% 1% → Chicago Chicago 1% South Jacksonville · 3% stay
580jobs based in South Jacksonville
3%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How South Jacksonville grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far South Jacksonville is from typical.

How grading works
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to South Jacksonville: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in South Jacksonville, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Jacksonville water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet11 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have South Jacksonville’s trash rules yet
SchoolsJacksonville School District 117Which 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.gov
Who runs elections hereMorgan County ClerkMorgan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6265062650 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 South Jacksonville.

South Jacksonville trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has household incomes well below the Illinois norm.

SchoolsD

South Jacksonville earns a D for schools

Its public schools are run by Jacksonville SD 117. Its one school is below.

10%of IL districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
South Jacksonville Elem SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5Grades K–5311C+

NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation

HousingCost of living grade A

In South Jacksonville, the median rent runs lower than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town

Homes are within reach (about $150K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 27 miles. Home values rose 46% in five years, to about $150K, against 30% across Illinois.

South Jacksonville’s median rent is $647 a month. Typical home values rose 6.9% in the year to September 2026.

$150KZillow home value
South JacksonvilleIllinois townsU.S. towns
Median rent$647 a month$1,129 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home69%75%73%

Typical home value

South Jacksonville$150K
Illinois$296K
+6.9%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

SafetyA−

South Jacksonville earns an A− for safety

Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.

The violent crime rate in South Jacksonville is 0 per 1,000 residents.

83%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
South JacksonvilleIllinois townsU.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)0 per 1,000 residents11.6
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)3.2 per 1,000 residents7.99.9

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

South Jacksonville0
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

South Jacksonville3.2
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
83rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
81st
percentile among IL towns
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−

With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of South Jacksonville’s workers commute out

Jobs based here fell from 1,031 in 2013 to 580. The average commute for its 1,489 working residents takes 14.3 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.

Most working residents leave South Jacksonville for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in South Jacksonville fell to 580 in 2023, 451 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Jacksonville (38%), Springfield (17%) and Mount Sterling (3%).

3%work in town
South JacksonvilleIllinois townsU.S. towns
Median household income$50,000$83,000$80,000
Working residents who work in town3.4%8.4%8%

Where working residents work

In South Jacksonville3%
Jacksonville38%
Springfield17%
Mount Sterling3%
St. Louis2%
27 mi
median commute distance
580
jobs based in South Jacksonville
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 51% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In South Jacksonville, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

South Jacksonville has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 19° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.

16″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter22–39°
Spring42–64°
Summer63–85°
Fall44–66°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+

South Jacksonville faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.

54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
54Moderate riskLowerHigher
Cold wavesInland floodingHeat waves
5
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

OutdoorsC+

Conserved land covers 1.2% of South Jacksonville

0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.

1.2%conserved
1.2%
conserved · 18 of 1,471 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. South Jacksonville Playground—1

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

HealthB−

Residents of South Jacksonville are healthier than 51% of U.S. towns

Against the 5,638 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Jacksonville’s, it is healthier than 89%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.

South Jacksonville beats the Illinois average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 38% of adults have high blood pressure in South Jacksonville.

51%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
South JacksonvilleIllinois townsU.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)38%35%35%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)39%37%35%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)14%13%14%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)12%11%12%
32 measures vs. Illinois
4 better21 too close to call7 worse
What stands outSouth JacksonvilleIL
Fewer uninsured adults7.5%9.9%
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity10.2%13.2%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth14.7%10.3%
Jacksonville Memorial Hospital
3.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
37th
percentile among IL towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about South Jacksonville

18pages on South Jacksonville
After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of South Jacksonville

About 4 of every 100 South Jacksonville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About South Jacksonville

Village in Illinois, United States

South Jacksonville is a village in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,302 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
2.4 sq mi
Elevation
625 ft

South Jacksonville’s neighbors

One town shares a border with South Jacksonville.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownIL rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
South Jacksonville#466B−AA−DB−
Jacksonville#664C−A−CDC

Compare South Jacksonville with a neighbor →

Questions about South Jacksonville

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is South Jacksonville, IL a good place to live?

South Jacksonville grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #466 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B− for health, A− for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.

Is South Jacksonville, 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.