Smithton has the newest housing and the highest owner-occupancy of the villages south of Belleville, and also the longest commute by a clear margin. Those two facts together are the honest summary of what you are choosing here.
About Smithton, Illinois
Smithton had a 2020 census population of 4,006, up 8.5% over the decade, the fastest growth of the nearby villages. It covers about 4.44 square miles of land, and the Census classifies its population as entirely rural, with no urban population at all.
Illinois Route 159 is the village’s Main Street, and that corridor has been the subject of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments’ Great Streets Initiative, a regional planning program.
Smithton IL Real Estate Market Overview
Smithton starts higher than most of its neighbors. Nothing under $150,000 sold here at all in the past twelve months.
What actually sold in Smithton over the past 12 months:
- 53 homes closed between October 2025 and September 2026
- The median sale landed in the $300,000 to $350,000 range
- 9% sold for under $200,000
- 55% sold between $200,000 and $400,000
- 36% sold for more than $400,000
Source: MARIS MLS closed residential sales, October 2025 through September 2026. Single family, condominium, townhouse and villa only; rentals excluded. Pulled September 22, 2026.
Buying a Home in Smithton, IL
Smithton has the newest housing stock of the small villages here by a wide margin, with a median year built of 2000 against 1991 in Freeburg and 1976 in Millstadt, and it is 93.6% owner-occupied.
What to weigh before you make an offer in Smithton:
- Budget the commute honestly. The average one-way commute here is about 34 minutes, roughly 11 to 13 minutes longer than Millstadt or Freeburg. That is about two extra hours a week each way over a year.
- The housing is newer than anywhere else nearby. A median year built of 2000 means fewer original-systems surprises than in the older villages.
- Owner-occupancy is 93.6%, which is unusually high and means very few rentals and low turnover.
- Single-family housing is 93.2% of the stock, with mobile homes at 5.3%.
- Confirm well and septic status outside village limits. Water and sewer are village-provided inside the boundary, but rural addresses are a separate question we could not source.
Schools in Smithton, IL
Smithton has one K-8 district and sends its graduates to a high school in a neighboring village, which is the normal arrangement here but still worth stating plainly.
- Smithton Community Consolidated School District 130: a single PreK-8 building, Smithton Consolidated School, at 316 South Hickory Street, with roughly 550 students
- Freeburg Community High School District 77 for grades 9 through 12. District 130 states that after eighth grade, students continuing in public school attend Freeburg High School
Freeburg District 77 confirms this from its side, listing both Smithton Elementary and St. John’s Catholic Grade School of Smithton among its six feeder schools. District 130 also contracts bus transportation jointly with the Freeburg districts.
One thing worth clearing up: the village’s community page lists three area high schools. That means one public district, Freeburg, plus two private options, Althoff Catholic in Belleville and Gibault Catholic in Waterloo. It does not mean three public districts serve the village.
Sources: Smithton CCSD 130 and Freeburg CHSD 77 district pages; Village of Smithton community information.
Commuting from Smithton
This is the section to read carefully, because the commute is the real trade-off in Smithton.
- Average one-way commute: about 34 minutes, roughly 11 to 13 minutes longer than Millstadt or Freeburg. This estimate carries a wide margin of error, so treat it as directional rather than exact
- Drive alone to work: 77.7% of workers
- Work from home: 17.9%, the highest share of the nearby villages, which is likely part of how residents manage the distance
- Highway: Illinois Route 159 is Main Street, running north through Belleville and on toward Collinsville and Edwardsville, and south toward Red Bud
Commute figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Small-place estimates carry wide margins of error.
Smithton Lifestyle and Community
- Smithton Park, open April through October, with rentable pavilions for residents, a walking trail, ball fields and a lake open to fishing with a license
- The Smithton Athletic Association, which runs boys’ baseball, girls’ softball and co-ed T-ball and maintains the playing facilities
- Smithton Public Library District, 109 South Main Street, established in 1988 with a collection of over 17,000 items
- The Smithton Turner Society on North Julia Street, with a banquet hall and a community park, and the Smithton Senior Citizens Center
- The Smithton Community Garden at Jo Mar Drive and South Hickory Street, with lots available through Village Hall
- A village storm shelter in the building behind St. John United Church of Christ at 7 South Street, opened whenever a tornado warning is issued for the village
Source: Village of Smithton park, utilities and community information pages.
Smithton IL Real Estate: Common Questions
What high school do Smithton, IL students attend?
Freeburg Community High School, in Freeburg District 77. Smithton District 130 states that after eighth grade, students continuing in public school attend Freeburg High School, and District 77 lists Smithton Elementary among its feeder schools. The two districts also contract bus transportation jointly.
What school district is Smithton, IL in?
Smithton Community Consolidated School District 130 for PreK through grade 8, which is a single building at 316 South Hickory Street with roughly 550 students, then Freeburg Community High School District 77 for grades 9 through 12.
How long is the commute from Smithton, IL?
About 34 minutes one way on average, which is roughly 11 to 13 minutes longer than Millstadt or Freeburg and the main trade-off of living here. Work-from-home is 17.9%, the highest of the nearby villages. Illinois Route 159 is Main Street. The estimate carries a wide margin of error. (Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024.)
How old are the homes in Smithton, IL?
Newer than anywhere else nearby. The median year built is 2000, against 1991 in Freeburg and 1976 in Millstadt, reflecting substantial building after 2000 alongside 8.5% population growth over the decade. (Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024.)
Is Smithton, IL rural?
Officially, yes. The Census classifies Smithton’s population as entirely rural with no urban population. Owner-occupancy is 93.6% and single-family homes are 93.2% of the housing stock, which is about as settled as a village gets.
Work With Single Tree Team in Smithton
Single Tree Team is Craig Ziegel, licensed in Illinois and Missouri since 2011 and brokered by eXp Realty. Smithton trades commute time for newer houses and a genuinely settled village, and buyers should go in with both sides of that clearly in view.
Ready to make a move in Smithton? Call or text us at (223) 262-0988 or use the contact form below to get started with a free home valuation or buyer consultation.
