Springfield, IL
Census place 1772000 · pop 113,330
Illinois's capital and Abraham Lincoln's hometown, holding his home, law office, and tomb.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
4974 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
905 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
2.07% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
41.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-2.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
16.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
14.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$66,064 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
89/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
64.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
24.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
36.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$162,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
17 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,179/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Frequently asked
- Is Springfield, IL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Springfield scores 46/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is property crime rate. Illinois overall ranks #39 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Springfield, IL?
- Springfield reports 905 violent crimes per 100k and 4974 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Springfield, IL expensive to live in?
- Springfield has a median home value of $162,100 and typical rent around $1,179/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Springfield, IL?
- Its weakest measured area is property crime rate (4974/100k) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Springfield, IL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($1,179/mo) — 89/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Illinois's capital and Abraham Lincoln's hometown, holding his home, law office, and tomb.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.