City · Franklin County, Illinois

West Frankfort, Illinois

West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County, Illinois. It has 7,118 residents. West Frankfort, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 5 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,830 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #697 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on mental health providers (high), home price to income ratio (low) and time spent in the emergency room (low). It ranks worst on new business applications (low), unemployment rate (high) and voter turnout (low).

5Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,830 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #697 of 697 in IL
Population: 7,118 (2020-2024)
Land area: 5 mi²
Density: 1,428.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 1780333

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 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.

Safety21#12,378/15,637
Economy1#15,534/15,631
Housing56#6,545/14,977
Health3#15,158/15,609
Healthcare23#12,112/15,650
Environment14#13,293/15,453
Education12#13,720/15,649
Infrastructure6#14,692/15,650
Community31#10,748/15,651
Leisure & amenities35#10,155/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where West Frankfort, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Franklin 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

Mental health providers · high735 /100k
97/100Illinois 355 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFranklin County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.7×
97/100Illinois 3.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Time spent in the emergency room · low108 min
93/100Illinois 170 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesFranklin County value
Social associations · high14.3 /10k
88/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFranklin County value
Public libraries · high1.6 /10k
88/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesFranklin County value
Restaurants and bars · high10.3 /10k
75/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFranklin County value

Weaknesses

New business applications · low7.0 /1k
2/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauFranklin County value
Unemployment rate · high15.2%
3/100Illinois 4.6%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Voter turnout · low48.1%
3/100Illinois 62.9%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionFranklin County value
Poverty rate · high29.0%
5/100Illinois 11.5%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Job growth · low-3.6%
5/100Illinois 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataFranklin County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low8.9%
5/100Illinois 37.8%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
7,715 (2015-2019) → 7,118 (2020-2024)
−7.7%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
70.7% (2015-2019) → 84.9% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$30,430 (2015-2019) → $47,898 (2020-2024)
+57%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
New homes permittedWorsening
0.7 /1k (2021) → 0.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−38%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
58.7% (2015-2019) → 51.7% (2020-2024)
−7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
45.9% (2015-2019) → 40.2% (2020-2024)
−5.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, West Frankfort, Illinois improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 12 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.

Improved2

Household income+57%$30,430 → $47,898
Broadband+14 points70.7% → 84.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of West Frankfort, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.0 min2015-2019	23.4 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	43%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.4%2015-2019	8.9%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Broadband subscriptions	70.7%2015-2019	84.9%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	77%
Child poverty rate	45.9%2015-2019	40.2%2020-2024	−5.7 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Effective property tax rate	1.87%2015-2019	1.46%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	85%
High school diploma or higher	87.7%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	1.7×2020-2024	−0.4×	Within the margin of error	91%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4512015-2019	0.4552020-2024	+0.004	Within the margin of error	47%
Median household income	$30,4302015-2019	$47,8982020-2024	+57%	Improved	89%
Poverty rate	30.5%2015-2019	29.0%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Rent as share of income	34.5%2015-2019	30.4%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Rent-burdened households	58.7%2015-2019	51.7%2020-2024	−7 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Unemployment rate	12.4%2015-2019	15.2%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.7%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Within the margin of error	17%

“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 West Frankfort, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of West Frankfort, 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, West Frankfort, Illinois itself moved +5.9 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

7,118 residents (±447)

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

2,978 households (±207)

West Frankfort, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k29%855
$25k–50k23%671
$50k–75k25%739

Homes

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

Owners and renters

2,978 households (±207)

West Frankfort, Illinois
Illinois share

Own62%1,834
Rent38%1,144

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

2,757 workers (±269)

West Frankfort, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone80%2,203
Carpool10%†287
Public transit0.4%†

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 Franklin County, the county holding most of West Frankfort's residents.

Franklin County has 696 employer establishments, 188 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248; 0.73× Illinois's), with 6,940 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,220. The Census Bureau also counts 2,073 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 696; 2,073 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 188; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 6,940
Average annual pay: $42,220; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	66	17.8	0.97×About typical	926	$18,913	10
Ambulatory health care services	44	11.9	0.57×Fewer than typical	513	$52,509	60
Specialty trade contractors	41	11	0.71×Fewer than typical	272	$63,151	169
Religious organizations	40	10.8	1.94×More than typical	141	$20,390	—
Limited-service restaurants	35	9.4	1.18×About typical	620	$19,132	—
Full-service restaurants	28	7.5	0.98×About typical	292	$18,476	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	26	7	1.39×More than typical	114	$40,728	58
Gasoline stations	26	7	2.16×More than typical	222	$27,207	—
Legal services	20	5.4	1.00×About typical	47	$51,894	10
Construction of buildings	19	5.1	0.68×Fewer than typical	68	$67,515	86
Services to buildings and dwellings	19	5.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	91	$53,758	192
Banks and credit unions	16	4.3	1.33×More than typical	126	$46,548	—

Rank places for an industry Open Franklin County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 37,105 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in West Frankfort, Illinois: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

36.3FY2017
76.3KFY2018
40.8FY2019
0FY2021
1.1KFY2024

What was bought

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 West Frankfort, Illinois, so they do not add up across cities.

West Frankfort, Illinois's figures are part of those of Franklin County, IL ($930.5K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Franklin 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.

West Frankfort, Illinois is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Mike BostR-IL-12 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.6%

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.

Franklin County25100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Franklin 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/1780333

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends