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Herrin vs Murphysboro Township

16 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (4× in Herrin) and trails (3.5× in Herrin).

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Herrin, ILHomes around $113KIllinois · 12,226 people
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Murphysboro Township, ILAn outdoors townJackson County · 9,415 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

HerrinHomes around $113K
Housing$113K typical home62% below the IL typical home Outdoors#237 most walkable in IL0.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves SafetySafer than 19%of U.S. towns we grade All about Herrin →
Murphysboro TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#409 most conserved land in IL0.2 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 21%of IL districts HistorySettled in 184318 archive photos, postcards and papers All about Murphysboro Township →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid4×
Herrin has the more walkable street grid
Herrin 76.6Murphysboro Township 19.2
Trails3.5×
Herrin has more miles of trail
Herrin 0.7 miMurphysboro Township 0.2 mi
Rent+45%
Rent runs higher in Herrin
Herrin $1,002Murphysboro Township $693
Growth since 2010+9.5 pts
Herrin has grown faster since 2010
Herrin -1.2%Murphysboro Township -10.7%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Herrin places higher on 10 of 18 IL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
C−HerrinSafer than 19% of U.S. towns –Murphysboro TownshipNot graded
Schools
B−HerrinBetter than 46% of districts in the state C−Murphysboro TownshipBetter than 21% of districts in the state
Health
CHerrinHealthier than 33% of U.S. towns CMurphysboro TownshipHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns
10Herrin
7Murphysboro Township

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 384 towns #193#384 Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #237#597 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #463#819 Cheapest rentCost of living · 840 towns #366#39 Lowest depressionHealth · 861 towns #775#565 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #342#507 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #568#409 Most educatedPeople · 862 towns #556#414

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Herrin’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Herrin$760/mo
Typical home $113K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.82% · or rent about $1,002/mo · Housing →
Murphysboro Township$750/mo
Typical home $109K (Census) · tax rate 2.02% · or rent about $693/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
HerrinMurphysboro Township
Snow a year10″10″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th84th
Outdoors & history
HerrinMurphysboro Township
Trails1 mi0 mi
Conserved land2.1%3.6%
Settled18161843
Archive photos—18
Famous people born here—10
Community
HerrinMurphysboro Township
Library hours a week47 hrs52 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

16 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

HerrinMurphysboro TownshipHerrinMurphysboro Township
Herrin ↔ Murphysboro Township16 miles apart
Who commutes between them
72 Murphysboro Township residents work in Herrin (2.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Murphysboro Township →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

HerrinMurphysboro Township
People
Population 12,226Highest 9,415Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.2%Highest -10.7%Lowest
Median age 41.2±2.7Highest 6% above IL 41±3.2Lowest 5% above IL
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.8%±2.8Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.9%±3.9Highest IL: 21.8%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.1%±2.9Lowest IL: 17% 22.4%±3.2Highest IL: 17%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.8%Lowest IL: 37.8% 28.7%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±1.3Lowest IL: 6.3% 5.6%±1.8Highest IL: 6.3%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $59,975±$6kHighest 28% below IL $52,687±$9kLowest 37% below IL
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $113,300±$10kHighest 57% below IL $108,700±$12kLowest 59% below IL
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,002±$98Highest 21% below IL $693±$143Lowest 46% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,059Lowest 61% below IL $2,198Highest 59% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.1%±12.4Highest IL: 47.9% 42.5%±12.7Lowest IL: 47.9%
Herrin and Murphysboro Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.5%Highest IL: 11.8% 13.9%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 65.7%Highest IL: 67.1% 59.4%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Highest 2 yrs older than IL 1967Lowest 4 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 21% below IL 20 minLowest 28% below IL
Work from home 10.9%±4.2Lowest IL: 15.9% 13.1%±4.1Highest IL: 15.9%
Murphysboro Township and Herrin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 16.6%Lowest 18.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 9.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.82Lowest 0.91Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Marion (23%)Carbondale (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Murphysboro Township2% work in Herrin
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.1%Lowest 3.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 6Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 76.6Highest 19.2Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #193 of 384 in IL#384 of 384 in IL
School district Herrin CUSD 4Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Alxndr/Jcksn/Pulsk/Prry/Union ROE
High school in town Herrin High SchoolFive County Regional Alternative
Students per teacherat that high school 12.8 —
Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Herrin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Herrin’s Town Square.

Murphysboro Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Murphysboro Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Herrin

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Energy1,050 people · $152K homes
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Crainville1,641 people · $185K homes
C
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Carterville5,818 people · $197K homes

Towns like Herrin

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Olney Township9,847 people · $109K homes
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Sterling14,717 people · $109K homes
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LaSalle Township13,287 people · $123K homes
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Olney8,577 people · $100K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Illinois towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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