Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
West Frankfort earns a D, 730th among Illinois's 767 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $48K, and 29% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: homes are within reach, about $107K for a typical one, or 1.9 years of the county’s $57K median household income. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in West Frankfort, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.4% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. West Frankfort's schools rank behind 93% of the state's. On civic life, just 108 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns do worse.
Where West Frankfort beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
8,182 counted in 2010 and 7,275 in 2020; an estimated 7,105 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 West Frankfort is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Its founding year, 1810, comes before those of 99% of the Illinois towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 2,111 in 1910, a peak of 14,683 in 1930, 7,275 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1929 and 4 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Frankfort, 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 West Frankfort.
West Frankfort has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Illinois rate and has little public open land.
At 1.9 years of the county’s $57K median household income, the typical home (about $107K) costs less against local pay than in 82% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The typical value, about $107K, is 22% below its October 2020 peak.
West Frankfort’s median rent is $661 a month. The typical West Frankfort home is worth about $107,000, up 2.7% in a year, 64% below the Illinois typical home. 62% of West Frankfort households own their home.
| West Frankfort | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $661 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
21% of adults smoke cigarettes in West Frankfort. West Frankfort beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 40% of adults sleep under 7 hours in West Frankfort.
| West Frankfort | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | West Frankfort | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 12.3% | 6.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.6% | 10.3% |
| More smokers | 21.2% | 12.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave West Frankfort for work: only 14% work in town. The average trip to work in West Frankfort is 23 minutes. The top destinations are Marion (16%), Mount Vernon (9%) and Benton (5%).
| West Frankfort | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 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 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 36 flood insurance claims have been paid out in West Frankfort.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
West Frankfort has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 24° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Just 32 of its 3,197 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in West Frankfort itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Frankfort City Park | — | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of West Frankfort
About 4 of every 100 West Frankfort residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where West Frankfort’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 notable people were born in West Frankfort.
City in Illinois, United States
West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County, Illinois. The population was 7,275 at the 2020 census. The city is well known for its rich history of coal. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
West Frankfort grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #730 of 767 in Illinois. It grades D for health and D for schools. Health 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 A−.
6 notable people were born here, including Kenneth J. Gray and Hal Smith.
