Jacksonville and Wood River receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Jacksonville
Wood River
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs48 · Bottom 34%
Growth
44 · Bottom 38%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 46%
vs60 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
50 · Bottom 48%
vs48 · Bottom 46%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs49 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Jacksonville | Wood River | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,014 | 10,279 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,432 | $62,703 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,994 | $35,016 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,705/sq mi | 1,473/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $128,200 | $108,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $711 | $936 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.1% | 66.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 15.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.5% | 13.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 11 | 9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 175.0% | 350.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.4" | 41.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.1 min | 24.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 40.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.81 | 13.32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 20.4% | 19.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.7% | 24.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.9% | 72.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Jacksonville
Elevated or high exposure: drought, strong wind, tornado.
Wood River
Elevated or high exposure: hail, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Jacksonville
62
Your Score
62
Area Score
Wood River
65
Your Score
62
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Jacksonville, IL · Wood River, IL · How this is calculated: methodology