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Elgin vs Proviso Township

26 miles apart. The biggest differences: typical home built (22 yrs in Proviso Township) and growth since 2010 (+6.4 pts in Elgin).

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Elgin, ILOne of the healthiest townsIllinois · 114,934 people
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Proviso Township, ILAn outdoors townCook County · 147,690 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.

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 →
Proviso TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#107 most walkable in IL23 miles of trails across 57 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 69%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 11%of IL districts All about Proviso Township →
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.

Typical home built22 yrs
Proviso Township’s homes are older
Elgin 1977Proviso Township 1955
Growth since 2010+6.4 pts
Elgin has grown faster since 2010
Elgin +6.1%Proviso Township -0.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 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 →
Proviso Township$2,030/mo
Typical home $284K (Census) · tax rate 2.28% · or rent about $1,268/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Elgin and Proviso 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

Proviso 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 –Proviso TownshipNot graded
Schools
–ElginNot graded DProviso TownshipBetter than 11% of districts in the state
Health
BElginHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns B+Proviso TownshipHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns
9Elgin
11Proviso Township

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

Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #122#397 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #228#457 Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #497#621 Most activeHealth · 861 towns #671#512 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 862 towns #3#149 Lowest obesityHealth · 861 towns #337#199 Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #235#107 Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #268#174

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

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
ElginProviso Township
Snow a year32″42″
January low14°F—
July high84°F—
Growing season (days)174d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th71st
Outdoors & history
ElginProviso Township
Trails20 mi23 mi
Conserved land7.1%3.1%
Settled18351850
National Register places121
Archive photos12—
Famous people born here—1
Community
ElginProviso Township
Library hours a week71 hrs69 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.

Where they are

26 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ElginProviso TownshipElginProviso Township
Elgin ↔ Proviso Township26 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.

ElginProviso Township
People
Population 114,934Lowest 147,690Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.1%Highest -0.3%Lowest
Median age 36.7±1.3Lowest 6% below IL 40.3±1Highest 3% above IL
Kids under 18 25.3%±1.4Highest IL: 21.8% 22.2%±1.2Lowest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+ 13.5%±1Lowest IL: 17% 17.5%±0.8Highest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27%Lowest IL: 37.8% 30.5%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.1%±0.6Highest IL: 6.3% 5.5%±0.6Lowest IL: 6.3%
Elgin and Proviso 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±$3kHighest 8% above IL $82,097±$3kLowest about the IL average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $273,000±$6kLowest 4% above IL $284,000±$5kHighest 8% above IL
Proviso 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±$65Highest 7% above IL $1,268±$38Lowest about the IL average
Elgin and Proviso Township 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 $6,477Highest 22% above IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49%±5.1Lowest IL: 47.9% 49.1%±4.4Highest IL: 47.9%
Proviso 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%Lowest IL: 11.8% 10.1%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.9%Highest IL: 67.1% 69.3%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 6 yrs newer than IL 1955Lowest 16 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minLowest about the IL average 29 minHighest 3% above IL
Work from home 12.8%±1.4Lowest IL: 15.9% 13.7%±1.4Highest IL: 15.9%
Proviso Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 19.8%Highest 13.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.3 miHighest 9.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.01Lowest 1.16Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (11%)Chicago (30%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Proviso TownshipFew work in Elgin
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.1%Highest 3.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 19.7 miLowest 22.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 76Highest 57Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 76.9Lowest 97.2Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#316 of 384 in IL
School district —Proviso Area Exceptional Child · Region 06 West Cook ISC 2
High school in town —Proviso West High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 16.8
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.

Proviso Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Proviso Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Elgin

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

Towns like Elgin

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Elgin Township104,350 people · $282K homes
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Joliet150,445 people · $266K homes
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Worth Township149,419 people · $250K homes
B
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Bremen Township104,594 people · $218K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Illinois towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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