Is Brighton, IL a Good Place to Live?
Brighton is a small town of 2,440 in Illinois, with a median household income of $71,786 and a 2.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Brighton stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Brighton is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Brighton 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: 96.3Brighton's overall cost of living index is 96.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Brighton costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Brighton, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $121,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $900 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 83.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $71,786 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Brighton is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Brighton is served primarily by Southwestern CUSD 9. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Brighton, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Southwestern CUSD 9 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 16.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 91.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Brighton sees average highs of 36.3°F in January and 86.5°F in July, with 39.8 inches of annual precipitation and 16.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Brighton, IL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 36.3°F |
| Average High — July | 86.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 16.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Brighton, IL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,440 | — |
| Median Age | 36.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 28.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Brighton
Brighton, IL is covered by 1 ZIP code: