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Moving to Jacksonville, Illinois

Jacksonville pays new residents up to $5,000 through Build Your Life in Jacksonville, Illinois. Here is what life costs in Morgan County, home of Jacksonville, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $5,000Paid to move hereBuild Your Life in Jacksonville, Illinois
  • $130,800Typical home value1Morgan County
  • $722Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 32,515Population-3.1% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Jacksonville

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Illinois

Made the move: James in Jacksonville

A real move, as reported in the news. Slower Sundays is not affiliated with this person or the program.

From the news

James moved to Jacksonville

“I feel more at home here than anywhere else I’ve lived.”

James came to the Jacksonville region with a remote-worker incentive, looking for a stronger sense of community. A local introduction soon led to an engineering job close to home. He says the slower pace and easy access to hunting and fishing make it the place he feels most settled.

Source: Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation (JREDC), October 2025

Did you know?

Big Eli, the world's first portable Ferris wheel, debuted in 1900, and the Eli Bridge Company that builds them still operates in its original building in Jacksonville.

Source: WNIJ / Northern Public Radio, May 2021

A fact about Jacksonville

What it costs to live in Jacksonville

Morgan County next to Illinois and the US.1
MeasureMorgan CountyIllinoisUnited States
Typical home value$130,800$263,300$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,195$1,987$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$722$1,274$1,413
Typical household income$66,306$83,390$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners72.8%67.1%65.2%
Households with broadband85.3%90.8%91.0%
Average commute, one way19 min28 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $719 a month2.

Jobs and work in Morgan County

  • 12,835Jobs at local employers2023, +1.2% vs 2022
  • 759Employer businesses2023
  • 2,044Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 85.3%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

56.5% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 18.7 minutes, and 22.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 15 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Jacksonville

Current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Jacksonville

Notable places in Morgan County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Barr Park
  • Franklin Waverly Outing Club Lake
  • Lake Jacksonville
  • Mauvaise Terre Lake
  • Central Plaza Park

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Jacksonville Historic District
  • Jacksonville Downtown Historic District

Thinking about Jacksonville? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

Get the guide

Moving to Jacksonville: questions people ask

Does Jacksonville pay you to move there?

Yes. Build Your Life in Jacksonville, Illinois: $5,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Jacksonville?

In Morgan County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $130,800 and median gross rent is $722 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Illinois: $263,300 and $1,274. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $719 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Jacksonville a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Morgan County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 3.1% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Jacksonville?

85.3% of households in Morgan County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). Check the program rules for job requirements.

What is there to do in Jacksonville?

Notable places in Morgan County include Barr Park, Franklin Waverly Outing Club Lake, Jacksonville Historic District, Jacksonville Downtown Historic District. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Illinois towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page