Agri-Fab Building, 2011
Sullivan Township’s story
181 years in pictures
Census counts: 528 in 1860, 4,413 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
- 1845Sullivan Township is settled
Sullivan TownshipIL
29% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
6,229
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Median home value
$141K
Census ACS
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
2,778
Balanced
TownGrade
B+
#285 of 767 in IL
Is Sullivan Township a good place to live?
Sullivan Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $141K, 2 years of the county’s $72K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 285th of 767 in Illinois. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 71% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. 27% of working residents work locally in Sullivan Township, above both Illinois’ towns (8.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Sullivan Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Wyman Park, at 46 acres.
What makes Sullivan Township stand out
Where Sullivan Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Sullivan Township4.3
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA
29% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
8.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
0historic places
HistoryA−
Settled in 1845
A long history
A history going back 181 years.
How Sullivan Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Sullivan Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 9.2% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →Jobs & income$69K median household incomeBOpen →SchoolsB−Open →HealthHSHS Good Shepherd Hospital 15.3 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 0% conserved landC−Open →HistoryA−Open →Civic life4.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sullivan Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sullivan Township, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of SullivanEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterSullivan water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sullivan Township’s trash rules yet
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 hereMoultrie County ClerkMoultrie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes61951, 6191461951 98% · 61914 2%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 Sullivan Township.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Sullivan Township, with inland flooding at the top
Since 1979, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sullivan Township.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesEarthquakes
2
paid flood claims since 1979
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB−
Sullivan Township’s schools rank ahead of 52% of Illinois districts
Its public schools are run by Sullivan CUSD 300. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Sullivan High School, with 317 students.
52%of IL districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan Elem SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 565 | A− |
| Sullivan High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 317 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Climate
In Sullivan Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Sullivan Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 20° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
13″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–38°
Spring43–63°
Summer64–84°
Fall44–66°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in four working residents works right in Sullivan Township
Sullivan Township has about as many jobs (2,778) as working residents, but only 807 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 18.4 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
About one in 4 of Sullivan Township’s working residents works in town. Sullivan Township’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Sullivan Township grew to 2,778 in 2023, 393 more than in 2013.
27%work in town
| Sullivan Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Sullivan Township27%
Sullivan26%
Decatur8%
Arthur6%
Mattoon5%
19 mi
median commute distance
2,778
jobs based in Sullivan Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC−
0.3% of Sullivan Township is conserved land
3.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Sullivan Township is 0.1 miles per square mile.
#555for trails in IL
| Sullivan Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
0.3%
conserved · 120 of 42,409 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tabor Park | 1.6 mi | 33 |
| 2. Wyman Park | — | 46 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Sullivan Township is less healthy than 52% of U.S. towns
Sullivan Township beats the Illinois average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 34% of Sullivan Township adults sleep under 7 hours.
48%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Sullivan Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
4 better21 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Sullivan Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 13.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.9% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6.3% |
HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital
15.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
35th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sullivan Township
18pages on Sullivan Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sullivan Township; the nearest are
Lake Land CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mattoon18.8 mi$4,415 in-state tuitionEastern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Charleston26.5 mi$13,679 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Sullivan Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
About Sullivan Township
City in Illinois, United States
Sullivan is the largest city and the county seat of Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,413 at the time of the 2020 census. Sullivan is named after Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, where Fort Moultrie is located.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1845
- Area
- 2.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 673 ft
- ZIP code
- 61951
- Area code
- 217
Sullivan Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Sullivan Township.
Marrowbone TownshipEast Nelson TownshipJonathan Creek TownshipLovington TownshipTodds Point TownshipWindsor TownshipSullivan Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan Township | #285 | B+ | A− | — | B− | B− |
| Marrowbone Township | — | — | B | — | C− | B |
| East Nelson Township | — | — | C+ | — | B− | B− |
| Jonathan Creek Township | — | — | B | — | B | C+ |
| Lovington Township | — | — | A+ | — | B+ | C− |
| Todds Point Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Windsor Township | — | — | A+ | — | C | B |
Marrowbone Township, East Nelson Township, Jonathan Creek Township, Lovington Township and Windsor Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Sullivan Township, Marrowbone Township, East Nelson Township, Jonathan Creek Township, Lovington Township and Windsor Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Todds Point Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Sullivan Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Sullivan Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sullivan Township, IL a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Sullivan Township grades B+ overall, better than 75% of U.S. towns and #285 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B− for health and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Sullivan Township, 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−.