Brighton is a village located mostly in Macoupin County and partially in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 2,221.[3] The village's current mayor is Matthew P. Kasten.
Brighton is a small community that dates back to the early 19th century, when settlers began the transformation of the Illinois prairie into productive farmland. The village was named after Brighton, Massachusetts. A post office was opened in 1837, and the village was incorporated in 1869.[4] Brighton is noted for its five-star historic museum.[citation needed]
Brighton currently has two restaurants and one traffic signal.
Illinois Routes 111 and 267 pass jointly through the west side of the village, leading north 9 miles (14 km) to Medora and south 6 miles (10 km) to Godfrey. Carlinville, the Macoupin county seat, is 26 miles (42 km) to the northeast, while Jerseyville, the Jersey county seat, is 13 miles (21 km) to the northwest.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village of Brighton has a total area of 1.96 square miles (5.08 km2), of which 1.92 square miles (4.97 km2) are land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 1.99%, are water.[1]
As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 2,254 people.[8] The population density was 1,364.2 inhabitants per square mile (526.7/km2). There were 855 housing units at an average density of 531.2 per square mile (205.1/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.41% White, 0.05% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 816 households, of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the village, the age distribution of the population shows 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $43,167. Males had a median income of $37,150 versus $23,616 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,453. 6.5% of the population and 6.8% of families were below the poverty line. Of the total population, 7.7% of those under the age of 18 and 8.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
The opening scene of The Music Man (1962) is set in Brighton, purported to be one stop from River City, Iowa.[9]
Although the state is never explicitly said, a map within the show suggests that The Ghost and Molly McGee, a 2021 Disney Channel show, is set in this version of Brighton.[10] Series co-creator Bill Motz revealed that the quad cities in the area of Illinois and Iowa were the inspiration for the show's setting.[11]
