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Bald Bluff Township vs Sims 222 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (14.4× in Sims) and trails (16.3× in Bald Bluff Township).
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Sims, IL A small town of 123 Illinois · 123 people
Where each one shines Two towns, two different strengths What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.
Bald Bluff Township A small town of 71
Quiet strengths Bald Bluff Township doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Bald Bluff Township →
Sims A small town of 123
Quiet strengths Sims doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Sims →
The biggest differences Where they differ most The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.
Life in each What daily life feels like in each The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.
Seasons
Outdoors & history
Community
A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.
Where they are 222 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Bald Bluff Township ↔ Sims 222 miles apart
Everything, side by side What matters to you? Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
71 Lowest 123 Highest
Median age
57.5 ±46.1 Lowest 47% above IL 58.3 ±5.4 Highest 49% above IL
Kids under 18
11.3% ±46.9 Highest IL: 21.8% 5.7% ±21.8 Lowest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+
35.2% ±65.5 Lowest IL: 17% 35.8% ±21.9 Highest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
11.1% Lowest IL: 37.8% 15% Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±25.9 Lowest IL: 6.3% 0.8% ±10.7 Highest IL: 6.3%
Household incomemedian
— $48,194 ±$14k 42% below IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
— $44,200 ±$33k 83% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly
— $767 86% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
— 28.6% ±100 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line
0% Lowest IL: 11.8% 11.4% Highest IL: 11.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
83.3% Lowest IL: 67.1% 85.5% Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year
1965 Lowest 6 yrs older than IL 1974 Highest 3 yrs newer than IL
Average commuteone way
19 min Lowest 33% below IL 20 min Highest 29% below IL
Work from home
0% ±27.7 Lowest IL: 15.9% 13% ±21 Highest IL: 15.9%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
21.8 mi 21.8 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.08 Lowest 0.14 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Oquawka (15%) Mount Vernon (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Sims Few work in Bald Bluff Township
Conserved landshare of the town
6.8% Highest 0% Lowest
Trailsmapped miles
13.0 mi Highest 0.8 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.3 mi Lowest 0.7 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
2 Highest 0 Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
2.2 Lowest 31.6 Highest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 2020–2024
Deciding? Ask the people who live there The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.
Bald Bluff Township or Sims: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Bald Bluff Township? → Moving to Bald Bluff Township: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Bald Bluff Township’s Town Square.
Sims or Bald Bluff Township: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Sims? → Moving to Sims: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Sims’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Bald Bluff Township and Sims One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Bordering Bald Bluff Township Towns like Bald Bluff Township Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.
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