Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,267, settled in 1856.
The best of Walnut’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a C for incomes. Only 47 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score higher on cost of living. Walnut’s median rent is $617 a month, below both Illinois’ towns ($1,129 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The biggest park or preserve is Centennial Park, at 23 acres. Walnut has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Walnut beats most towns.
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 Walnut is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 515 in 1880, 1,311 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1949 and 2 maps from 1949 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walnut, 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 Walnut.
The typical Walnut home is worth about $153,000, up 12.6% in a year, 48% below the Illinois typical home. 87% of Walnut households own their home, against 75% in Illinois’ towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Walnut for work: only 6% work in town. Walnut’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Jobs based in Walnut fell to 281 in 2023, 211 fewer than in 2013.
| Walnut | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Walnut.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Walnut has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Walnut beats the Illinois average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 15% of Walnut adults report frequent physical distress.
| Walnut | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Walnut | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.8% | 75.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.4% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Centennial Park | — | 23 |
| 2. Blue Raider Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Depot Street Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Walnut; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Walnut residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Walnut’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Walnut is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,311 at the 2020 census, down from 1,416 at the 2010 census and 1,461 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village was incorporated on October 26, 1876.
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+.