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Buffalo Township vs Polo

1 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (16.9× in Polo).

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Buffalo Township, ILKnown for its schoolsOgle County · 2,648 people
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Polo, ILOne of the safest townsIllinois · 2,495 people
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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.

Buffalo TownshipKnown for its schools
Schools#154 for schools in ILof 384 towns Health66% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Buffalo Township →
PoloOne of the safest towns
SafetySafer than 92%of U.S. towns we grade Housing$165K typical home45% below the IL typical home History7 historic places7 places on the National Register All about Polo →
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.

Street grid16.9×
Polo has the more walkable street grid
Polo 101Buffalo Township 6.0
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $350 more a month in Polo

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Buffalo Township$830/mo
Typical home $117K (Census) · tax rate 2.23% · or rent about $851/mo · Housing →
Polo$1,180/mo
Typical home $165K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.31% · or rent about $851/mo · Housing →

The difference: $350 a month, about $4,200 a year, between Polo and Buffalo Township.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
–Buffalo TownshipNot graded APoloSafer than 92% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+Buffalo TownshipBetter than 70% of districts in the state –PoloNot graded
Health
CBuffalo TownshipHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns C+PoloHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns
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
Buffalo TownshipPolo
Snow a year31″31″
January low14°F14°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)180d180d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)25th25th
Outdoors & history
Buffalo TownshipPolo
Trails2 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%0%
National Register places27
Community
Buffalo TownshipPolo
Library hours a week47 hrs47 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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

1 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Buffalo TownshipPoloBuffalo TownshipPolo
Buffalo Township ↔ Polo0.6 miles apart
Who commutes between them
118 Buffalo Township residents work in Polo (10.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Buffalo Township →
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.

Buffalo TownshipPolo
People
Population 2,648Highest 2,495Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.3%Lowest -2.7%Highest
Median age 34.4±8.6Highest 12% below IL 33.1±5.3Lowest 15% below IL
Buffalo Township and Polo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.8%±6.4Lowest IL: 21.8% 24.2%±6.7Highest IL: 21.8%
Polo and Buffalo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 21.6%±4.2Highest IL: 17% 17.6%±3.9Lowest IL: 17%
Buffalo Township and Polo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.9%Lowest IL: 37.8% 18%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±2Lowest IL: 6.3% 3.8%±2.1Highest IL: 6.3%
Polo and Buffalo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,080±$17k 24% below IL $63,080±$18k 24% below IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $116,800±$10kHighest 56% below IL $109,600±$12kLowest 58% below IL
Buffalo Township and Polo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $851±$118 33% below IL $851±$118 33% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,603Highest 51% below IL $2,537Lowest 52% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.8%±20.7 IL: 47.9% 44.8%±20.7 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line 19.3%Lowest IL: 11.8% 20.5%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 62.6%Highest IL: 67.1% 59.3%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1952 19 yrs older than IL 1952 19 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 6% below IL 26 minHighest 6% below IL
Work from home 7.8%±4.6Lowest IL: 15.9% 8%±4.7Highest IL: 15.9%
Polo and Buffalo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 11.2%Highest 10.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miHighest 14.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.50Lowest 0.52Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Dixon (15%)Dixon (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 10% work in PoloFew work in Buffalo Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 6.0Lowest 101Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #154 of 384 in IL—
School district Polo CUSD 222—
High school in town Polo Comm High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 11.7 —
Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 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.

Buffalo Township neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Fall in Buffalo Township

1 neighbor in Buffalo Township can answer.

Polo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Polo’s Town Square.

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Bordering Buffalo Township

+ Compare
Eagle Point Township273 people · $216K homes
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Woosung Township546 people · $244K homes
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Lincoln Township465 people · $306K homes

Towns like Buffalo Township

V
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Virden3,171 people · $101K homes
E
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Earl Township2,574 people · $158K homes
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Momence3,291 people · $155K homes
B
+ Compare
Burnham3,937 people · $161K homes

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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