What it's like to live in Morton
Morton is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Morton deals with cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Morton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Morton
Based on Morton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,148
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,960 a year
- 33% of Morton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,940
- Homes cost 2.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 24% below US
$1,074/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,074 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $239,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $239,400 · 33% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Tazewell County is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Tazewell County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 71% below US
96 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 606/100k · Morton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 36% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.6 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 20°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 29% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lincoln Home National Historic Site (57 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Morton's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,074/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Morton
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