City · Fulton County, Illinois

Canton, Illinois

Canton is a city in Fulton County, Illinois, part of the Canton, IL metro area. It has 13,144 residents. Canton, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 22 out of 100 (low), ranking #12,215 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #629 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on public libraries (high), social associations (high) and restaurants and bars (high). It ranks worst on new business applications (low), pharmacies (low) and distance to an airport (high).

22Low

Quality-of-life score: #12,215 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #629 of 697 in IL
Population: 13,144 (2020-2024)
Land area: 8 mi²
Density: 1,566.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 1711007

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety51#7,704/15,637
Economy6#14,643/15,631
Housing51#7,374/14,977
Health33#10,432/15,609
Healthcare20#12,592/15,650
Environment28#11,161/15,453
Education21#12,301/15,649
Infrastructure14#13,435/15,650
Community54#7,158/15,651
Leisure & amenities65#5,479/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Canton, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Fulton County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public libraries · high2.4 /10k
94/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesFulton County value
Social associations · high15.7 /10k
93/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFulton County value
Restaurants and bars · high13.7 /10k
92/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFulton County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.0×
92/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Time spent in the emergency room · low121 min
87/100Illinois 170 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesFulton County value
Students per teacher · low11.7×
87/100Illinois 13.6×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsFulton County value

Weaknesses

New business applications · low7.4 /1k
4/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauFulton County value
Pharmacies · low0.6 /10k
5/100Illinois 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFulton County value
Distance to an airport · high120 mi
6/100Illinois 35 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauFulton County value
Dentists · low25 /100k
7/100Illinois 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFulton County value
Average weekly wage · low$917
7/100Illinois $1,539United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFulton County value
Job growth · low-2.8%
7/100Illinois 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataFulton County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedWorsening
0.2 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.4% (2015-2019) → 87.6% (2020-2024)
+7.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
44.3% (2015-2019) → 50.8% (2020-2024)
+6.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
7.7% (2015-2019) → 3.1% (2020-2024)
−4.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Poverty rateImproving
19.4% (2015-2019) → 15.2% (2020-2024)
−4.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$44,299 (2015-2019) → $53,254 (2020-2024)
+20%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Canton, Illinois improved on 3 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Uninsured−4.7 points7.7% → 3.1%
Broadband+7.2 points80.4% → 87.6%
Household income+20%$44,299 → $53,254

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Canton, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.3 min2015-2019	21.3 min2020-2024	+3.0 min	Within the margin of error	20%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.4%2015-2019	16.3%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Broadband subscriptions	80.4%2015-2019	87.6%2020-2024	+7.2 points	Improved	45%
Child poverty rate	24.5%2015-2019	22.1%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Effective property tax rate	2.11%2015-2019	2.00%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	37%
High school diploma or higher	84.5%2015-2019	87.9%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	−0.0×	Within the margin of error	80%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5152015-2019	0.4632020-2024	−0.052	Within the margin of error	85%
Median household income	$44,2992015-2019	$53,2542020-2024	+20%	Improved	33%
Poverty rate	19.4%2015-2019	15.2%2020-2024	−4.2 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Rent as share of income	28.0%2015-2019	30.3%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Rent-burdened households	44.3%2015-2019	50.8%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Unemployment rate	6.4%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.7%2015-2019	3.1%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Improved	85%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Canton, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Canton, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Canton, Illinois itself moved −4.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

13,144 residents (±322)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

5,523 households (±279)

Canton, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k20%1,127
$25k–50k29%1,576
$50k–75k16%864

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

5,523 households (±279)

Canton, Illinois
Illinois share

Own67%3,726
Rent33%1,797

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

4,908 workers (±383)

Canton, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone84%4,140
Carpool8.7%†425
Public transit0.1%†3

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Canton, IL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Fulton County, the county holding most of Canton's residents.

Fulton County has 596 employer establishments, 181 for every 10,000 residents (0.73× the US rate of 248; 0.71× Illinois's), with 6,400 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,945. The Census Bureau also counts 1,587 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 596; 1,587 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 181; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 6,400
Average annual pay: $43,945; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Fulton County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	50	15.2	0.83×About typical	667	$15,829	10
Ambulatory health care services	41	12.5	0.60×Fewer than typical	535	$62,718	43
Specialty trade contractors	40	12.2	0.79×Fewer than typical	198	$66,545	145
Religious organizations	39	11.9	2.14×More than typical	126	$16,714	—
Full-service restaurants	23	7	0.91×About typical	189	$16,746	3
Truck transportation	23	7	1.38×More than typical	86	$54,965	62
Construction of buildings	20	6.1	0.80×About typical	57	$42,842	74
Gasoline stations	19	5.8	1.78×More than typical	167	$24,838	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	18	5.5	1.09×About typical	79	$31,734	28
Banks and credit unions	18	5.5	1.69×More than typical	277	$59,029	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	17	5.2	1.18×About typical	59	$41,915	26
Limited-service restaurants	17	5.2	0.64×Fewer than typical	381	$16,236	3

Rank places for an industry Open Fulton County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 32,872 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $3,923 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Canton, Illinois: $0.30 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3,923; −58% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.30; US $1,994
Sole-source: 100%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$3,56291%
Consumer Product Safety Commission$3619.2%

Top recipients

JARVIS WELDING, L.L.P.$3,56291%
GRAHAM HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION$3619.2%

Spending by fiscal year

83.8FY2017
8.3KFY2018
8.8KFY2019
855.2FY2020
64.5KFY2021
486.1FY2022
432FY2023
80.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Building equipment contractors · 2382$3,56291%
Data processing, hosting, and related services · 5182$3619.2%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Canton, Illinois, so they do not add up across cities.

Canton, Illinois's figures are part of those of Fulton County, IL ($1.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.3% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Canton is mostly in Fulton County.

See federal money in Fulton County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Canton, Illinois is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Fulton County49100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Canton, IL35

Other cities and towns in Fulton County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1711007

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends