Morton is the largest town in this report by population [2], has the shortest commute to Peoria of any of them, and carries a single unified school district instead of the boundary puzzles some neighboring towns have. It's also, genuinely, the Pumpkin Capital of the World — which matters less for real estate than the schools do, but buyers ask about it anyway.
Zillow's average home value for Morton sat near $243,900 [1] in mid-2026, down a modest 0.6% from a year earlier — a small softening rather than a trend, and one of the only towns in this series to show any year-over-year decline at all. Median household income of $94,402 runs close to Washington's figure and well above the Peoria metro average, consistent with a town that draws steady, established buyers rather than a fast flip market.
Morton Community Unit School District 709 serves the entire town as a single unified PK–12 district — no splitting between three elementary feeders the way Washington does. SchoolDigger ranks it 92nd of 771 Illinois districts, placing it in the state's top 15% [3], with math proficiency at 47% against a 27% state average and reading at 57% against 30% statewide. The district serves roughly 3,247 students [3].
A single district simplifies the one question every relocating family asks first. We confirm attendance specifics for any address before you write an offer regardless.
The Libby's (Nestlé) processing plant in the center of Morton packs roughly 85% of the world's canned pumpkin [4]. The town hosts the Morton Pumpkin Festival every September, and the identity is not marketing invention — it's a working plant and a real annual event that shapes the town's calendar and civic life.
It has no bearing on home values. It has real bearing on what a family asking "what's Morton like" actually wants to know, and it's the kind of specific, true, checkable detail that separates a page written by someone who knows the town from 517 pages that don't.
Morton sits at the intersection of I-74 and I-155, about 10 miles from Peoria [5] — the shortest drive of any town in this report, roughly 12 minutes door to door. One broader dataset puts the town's overall average commute (to all destinations, not just Peoria) at 19.5 minutes; both figures are worth showing since they measure different things and a literal reader may check either one.
Drive times are typical off-peak estimates.
| Destination | Approx. drive |
|---|---|
| Downtown Peoria | ~12–15 min |
| Caterpillar East Peoria campus | ~10 min |
| OSF Saint Francis Medical Center | ~15 min |
Zillow's average value ran near $243,900 in mid-2026, down a modest 0.6% year over year — one of the only towns in this report showing any decline, and a small one.
Morton CUSD 709 [3], a single unified district for the whole town. SchoolDigger ranks it 92nd of 771 Illinois districts — top 15% statewide.
About 10 miles [5], roughly a 12-minute drive via I-74/I-155 — the shortest commute of any town this team covers.
The Libby's/Nestlé plant in town packs about 85% of the world's canned pumpkin [4], and Morton hosts the Pumpkin Festival each September. Real plant, real festival — not a marketing tagline.
It is the largest town in this report and the most straightforward commute. Morton has about 17,660 residents [2] and sits roughly 10 miles from Peoria, a 12-minute drive via I-74/I-155 [5]. Morton CUSD 709 is a single unified district ranked 92nd of 771 Illinois districts, the top 15% statewide [3], which avoids the attendance-boundary puzzles some neighbouring towns have. Median household income is $94,402 against the metro's $67,195, and Zillow's average value ran near $243,900 in mid-2026, down 0.6% year over year. For buyers who want size, one district and a short drive, it is the simplest fit here.
The Ashley Home Team — Bryce Ashley, Illinois license 475.182580, at eXp Realty — serves Morton and Tazewell County, and can be reached at 309-397-6982. Morton is served by a single unified district, Morton CUSD 709 [3], so buyers here do not face the multi-district boundary questions that come up in Washington or East Peoria.
1 active listing in Morton as of 20 August 2026 — prices, reductions and open houses update continuously on the feed.
View all 1 Morton listingOpens the searchable MLS feed on eXp Realty.