Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,656, settled in 1855.
The best of Sumner’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Sumner, above both the Illinois town median (8.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 4 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. Only 88 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on the outdoors. Sumner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sumner beats most towns.
3,174 counted in 2010 and 2,631 in 2020; an estimated 1,656 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Sumner is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 672 in 1870, a low of 672 in 1870, 2,631 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1911 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sumner, 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 Sumner.
The typical Sumner home is worth about $109,000, up 1.1% in a year, 63% below the Illinois typical home. At $738 a month, Sumner’s median rent is below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Sumner | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $738 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Sumner for work: only 2% work in town. The median household income in Sumner is $56,000. Jobs based in Sumner grew to 425 in 2023, 258 more than in 2013.
| Sumner | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1999, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sumner.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sumner has chilly winters and warm summers. Sumner’s July high is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
22% of adults binge drink in Sumner. Only 8 of the 768 Illinois towns we compare have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Sumner. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Sumner.
| Sumner | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Sumner | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.9% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 16.6% | 24.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.4% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Of the 358 Illinois towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Sumner. Sumner's reported crime rate is well below Illinois's. No violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Sumner | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sumner. Close and well known come first.
18 mi National Historical ParkGeorge Rogers Clark National Historical Park113K visitors a year18 mi MuseumIndiana Military Museum
19 mi MuseumIndiana Territorial CapitolGeorge Rogers Clark National Historical Park: The original uploader was Agentmoose at English Wikipedia. on 2006-07-08., CC BY-SA 2.5 · Indiana Territorial Capitol: Nyttend, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Sumner
About 3 of every 100 Sumner residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Sumner’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Sumner.
City in Illinois, United States
Sumner is a city in Lawrence County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Sumner had a population of 2,631. Approximately 2,000 of that population were inmates at the Lawrence Correctional Center.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
4 notable people were born here, including Lester Melrose and Frank Melrose.
