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Elgin vs Elgin Township

Next-door neighbors. Close on almost everything the Census measures, so the differences below are the small ones.

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Elgin, ILOne of the healthiest townsIllinois · 114,934 people
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Elgin Township, ILHometown of 65 notable peopleKane County · 104,350 people
Swap order
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.

ElginOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 58%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates HistorySettled in 183512 places on the National Register Housing$340K typical home14% above the IL typical home All about Elgin →
Elgin TownshipHometown of 65 notable people
Famous people65 notable peopleborn in Elgin Township HealthHealthier than 74%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#177 most trails in IL25 miles of trails across 65 parks and preserves All about Elgin Township →
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Elgin

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.

Elgin$2,420/mo
Typical home $340K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.27% · or rent about $1,361/mo · Housing →
Elgin Township$2,010/mo
Typical home $282K (Census) · tax rate 2.29% · or rent about $1,374/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Elgin and Elgin 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

Elgin Township places higher on 11 of 20 IL lists

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
B−ElginSafer than 51% of U.S. towns –Elgin TownshipNot graded
Schools
–ElginNot graded C+Elgin TownshipBetter than 35% of districts in the state
Health
BElginHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns B+Elgin TownshipHealthier than 74% of U.S. towns
7Elgin
11Elgin Township

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most activeHealth · 861 towns #671#379 HealthiestHealth · 861 towns #483#312 Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #268#177 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #828#733 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #122#205 Fewest smokersHealth · 861 towns #247#170 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 297 towns #175#199 Lowest obesityHealth · 861 towns #337#281

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Elgin’s rankings →

Where they are

Elgin and Elgin Township share a border

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

ElginElgin TownshipElginElgin Township
Elgin ↔ Elgin Township1.0 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
9,895 Elgin Township residents work in Elgin (20.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Elgin Township →
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
ElginElgin Township
Snow a year32″32″
January low14°F14°F
July high84°F84°F
Growing season (days)174d174d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th48th
Outdoors & history
ElginElgin Township
Trails20 mi25 mi
Conserved land7.1%8.2%
Settled18351835
National Register places12—
Archive photos1212
Famous people born here—65
Community
ElginElgin Township
Library hours a week71 hrs71 hrs
Colleges in town2—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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.

ElginElgin Township
People
Population 114,934Highest 104,350Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.1%Highest +3.5%Lowest
Median age 36.7±1.3Lowest 6% below IL 38.3±1Highest about the IL average
Elgin Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.3%±1.4Highest IL: 21.8% 23.2%±1.2Lowest IL: 21.8%
Elgin and Elgin Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.5%±1Lowest IL: 17% 14.9%±1Highest IL: 17%
Elgin Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27%Lowest IL: 37.8% 27.6%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.1%±0.6Highest IL: 6.3% 6%±0.7Lowest IL: 6.3%
Elgin and Elgin Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $90,282±$3kLowest 8% above IL $92,771±$4kHighest 11% above IL
Elgin Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $273,000±$6kLowest 4% above IL $281,600±$7kHighest 7% above IL
Elgin Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,361±$65Lowest 7% above IL $1,374±$57Highest 8% above IL
Elgin Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,184Lowest 17% above IL $6,441Highest 22% above IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49%±5.1Lowest IL: 47.9% 50.8%±5.6Highest IL: 47.9%
Elgin Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.8% IL: 11.8% 9.8% IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.9%Lowest IL: 67.1% 72.5%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 6 yrs newer than IL 1976Lowest 5 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the IL average 28 minLowest about the IL average
Work from home 12.8%±1.4Highest IL: 15.9% 12%±1.3Lowest IL: 15.9%
Elgin and Elgin Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 19.8%Highest 18.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.3 miHighest 13.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.01Highest 0.86Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (11%)Elgin (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Elgin Township21% work in Elgin
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.1%Lowest 8.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 19.7 miLowest 24.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 76Highest 65Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 76.9Lowest 82.6Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#280 of 384 in IL
School district —Kane ROE · Central CUSD 301
High school in town —South Elgin High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 15.3
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.

Elgin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elgin’s Town Square.

Elgin Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elgin Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Elgin

+ Compare
Campton Hills10,877 people · $548K homes
+ Compare
West Dundee7,906 people · $361K homes
B
+ Compare
Bartlett40,501 people · $376K homes
+ Compare
Pingree Grove10,914 people · $321K homes

Towns like Elgin

+ Compare
Joliet150,445 people · $266K homes
W
+ Compare
Worth Township149,419 people · $250K homes
B
+ Compare
Bremen Township104,594 people · $218K homes
B
+ Compare
Bloom Township83,966 people · $180K 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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