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Empire Township vs Rutledge Township

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: size (31.4× in Empire Township) and street grid (6.6× in Empire Township).

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Empire Township, ILKnown for its schoolsMcLean County · 3,993 people
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Rutledge Township, ILA small town of 127De Witt County · 127 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.

Empire TownshipKnown for its schools
Schools#111 for schools in ILof 384 towns HealthHealthier than 78%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Empire Township →
Rutledge TownshipA small town of 127
Quiet strengthsRutledge Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Rutledge Township →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Size31.4×
Empire Township is the bigger place
Empire Township 3,993Rutledge Township 127
Street grid6.6×
Empire Township has the more walkable street grid
Empire Township 6.6Rutledge Township 1.0
Median age30.2 yrs
Rutledge Township skews older
Rutledge Township 70.1Empire Township 39.9
Home values+87%
Homes cost more in Rutledge Township
Rutledge Township $326,700Empire Township $174,600
Jobs per worker3.9×
Empire Township is more of a job hub
Empire Township 0.47Rutledge Township 0.12
Bachelor’s degree++27.9 pts
More adults in Empire Township have a degree
Empire Township 36.6%Rutledge Township 8.7%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $970 more a month in Rutledge Township

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.

Empire Township$1,240/mo
Typical home $175K (Census) · tax rate 2.21% · or rent about $837/mo · Housing →
Rutledge Township$2,200/mo
Typical home $327K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →

The difference: $970 a month, about $11,600 a year, between Rutledge Township and Empire 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.

Where they are

Empire Township and Rutledge Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Empire TownshipRutledge TownshipEmpire TownshipRutledge Township
Empire Township ↔ Rutledge Township5.5 miles apart · They share a border
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.

Schools
A−Empire TownshipBetter than 79% of districts in the state –Rutledge TownshipNot graded
Health
A−Empire TownshipHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns –Rutledge TownshipNot graded
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
Empire TownshipRutledge Township
Snow a year20″20″
January low16°F16°F
July high86°F86°F
Growing season (days)172d172d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)47th43rd
Outdoors & history
Empire TownshipRutledge Township
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land0.1%—
National Register places1—
Community
Empire TownshipRutledge Township
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.

Empire TownshipRutledge Township
People
Population 3,993Highest 127Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.4% —
Median age 39.9±3.8Lowest about the IL average 70.1±18.8Highest 80% above IL
Kids under 18 24.5%±4.2Highest IL: 21.8% 0%±29Lowest IL: 21.8%
Empire Township and Rutledge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.7%±3.5Lowest IL: 17% 54.3%±45.1Highest IL: 17%
Rutledge Township and Empire Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 36.6%Highest IL: 37.8% 8.7%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±1.2Highest IL: 6.3% 0%±14.5Lowest IL: 6.3%
Empire Township and Rutledge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $87,896±$15kLowest 5% above IL $91,367±$10kHighest 10% above IL
Rutledge Township and Empire Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $174,600±$15kLowest 34% below IL $326,700±$111kHighest 24% above IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $837±$37 34% below IL —
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,855 27% below IL —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.6%±18.4 IL: 47.9% —
Below poverty line 4.2%Highest IL: 11.8% 0%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 79.5%Lowest IL: 67.1% 100%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Highest 2 yrs newer than IL 1938Lowest 33 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 min 18% below IL —
Work from home 17.1%±5Highest IL: 15.9% 0%±17.6Lowest IL: 15.9%
Empire Township and Rutledge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 14.3%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 28.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.47Highest 0.12Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Bloomington (31%)Bloomington (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Rutledge TownshipFew work in Empire Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 6.6Highest 1.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #111 of 384 in IL—
School district LeRoy CUSD 2—
High school in town LeRoy High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 10.0 —
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.

Empire Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Empire Township’s Town Square.

Rutledge Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rutledge Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Empire Township and Rutledge Township

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Bordering Empire Township

W
+ Compare
West Township290 people · $282K homes
D
+ Compare
Dawson Township534 people · $185K homes
+ Compare
Downs Township1,275 people · $229K homes

Towns like Empire Township

+ Compare
Le Roy3,236 people · $168K homes
M
+ Compare
Mount Zion5,660 people · $201K homes
+ Compare
Breese Township5,539 people · $229K homes
M
+ Compare
Mackinaw Township4,240 people · $200K 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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