Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Sparta earns a D, 701st among Illinois's 767 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $52K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 85% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. It also has a long history, with 2 places on the National Register. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Sparta, against 8.4% in Illinois’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On health, just 85 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns do worse. Charter Oak Schoolhouse and Sparta Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Sparta beats most towns.
Sparta Historic DistrictEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Sparta is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,335 in 1870, 4,095 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 3 maps from 1914 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sparta, 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 Sparta.
Sparta is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Illinois rate.
At 1.9 years of the county’s $68K median household income, the typical home (about $128K) costs less against local pay than in 82% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. 63% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 47.9% across Illinois.
The typical Sparta home is worth about $128,000, up 3.4% in a year, 57% below the Illinois typical home. 58% of Sparta households own their home.
| Sparta | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $762 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Sparta CUSD 140. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Sparta High School, with 309 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta Lincoln SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 735 | C |
| Sparta High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 309 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Against the 6,527 U.S. towns with household incomes like Sparta’s, it is less healthy than 60%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
42% of adults have high blood pressure in Sparta. Sparta beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 15% of adults have diabetes in Sparta.
| Sparta | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Sparta | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 75.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sparta has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Sparta is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,699 working residents takes 18.7 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
About one in 4 of Sparta’s working residents works in town. Sparta’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Steeleville (5%), Chester (3%) and Belleville (3%).
| Sparta | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 28% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Brown-Stevenson City Park, at 44 acres.
| Sparta | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brown-Stevenson City Park | 0.4 mi | 44 |
| 2. Tom Reid Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Sparta; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Sparta residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
7 notable people were born in Sparta.
City in Illinois, United States
Sparta is a city in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,095 at the 2020 census. It has a total area of 11.443 square miles (29.64 km2), of which 11.17 square miles (28.93 km2) (or 97.61%) is land and 0.273 square miles (0.71 km2) (or 2.39%) is water. The city was the principal filming location for the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sparta grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #701 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C− for health, C+ for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
7 notable people were born here, including Earle Gardner and John T. Ewing.