Is Bradford, IL a Good Place to Live?
Bradford is a small town of 764 in Illinois, with a median household income of $50,313 and a 2.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 89 (US average = 100), which is 11% below the national average.
Strengths: Bradford stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Bradford is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Bradford city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 88.6Bradford's overall cost of living index is 88.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Bradford costs roughly 11% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Bradford, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $76,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $867 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 71.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $50,313 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Bradford is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Bradford is served primarily by Bradford CUSD 1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Bradford, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Bradford CUSD 1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 14.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Bradford sees average highs of 30.3°F in January and 83.7°F in July, with 38.1 inches of annual precipitation and 22.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Bradford, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 30.3°F |
| Average High — July | 83.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 22.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Bradford, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 764 | — |
| Median Age | 47.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 26.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 21.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Bradford
Bradford, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: